In Search of a Hero
by Sandan1992
Summary: Priderock is on the verge of collapse, but this time there is no hero to save the pride.  While terribly sick, Simba sends a young lion named Amari on a journey into the wilderness to find the elusive hero, that is, if one even exists. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1: A Broken Pride

*****HERO*****

*****Chapter 1*****

*****A Broken Pride*****

"_Careful…. Careful…_" he murmured to himself softly as he descended the path down Priderock. He was moving faster than usual, but it was still slow by anyone's standard. The path was familiar to say the least, but still was just as foreboding as it always was for the lion. Others traversed the path just fine, but _he_ wasn't quite as coordinated as they were. Today, however, he _really _didn't want to fall. He was late and eager to get to his destination. No, there was no way in hell that he was going to fall toda-

"AAAAAAHHHH!" the young lion cried as his paw caught on the same protruding root that had caught him the day before. And the day before that. And the day before that. He knew what was coming; he had fallen enough times to be ready for _that_ at least. With hardly a second to spare, he clenched his eyes shut and braced himself for the impact that was soon to come.

"_WHUMP, WHAP, THUD_" The poor lion winced in pain as he fell down the incline with increasing speed, his hide being bruised and beaten by the unforgiving ground. He could only imagine the amount of dust being kicked up by the fall.

As the ground leveled off, his speed slowly reduced and he finally rolled to a stop on the sandy ground. He flopped over onto his back, his breathing ragged from the adrenaline rush and his body sore from the fall. In his pale tan fur he could feel bits and pieces of rock, dirt, and plant debris that he had crushed and absorbed from the path. He lay there for several moments, staring up at the sapphire sky.

Amari was used to it all by now. He knew that he wasn't the most athletic, or the most coordinated, or even the cleverest lion around. Hell, there wasn't much of _anything_ that he was good at besides getting himself hurt. Yet, he knew his place in the pride which was more than some could say.

The young lion, officially now an adult, groaned as he rose to his feet. His fall was worse than it normally was; he had been going faster and had kept rolling for a longer while than usual. The stinging scrapes and bruises quickly lost their edge as he recovered, but Amari wasn't quite ready to move on. He reviewed his body carefully to make sure that there wasn't any serious damage. He found nothing and he looked up at the breathtaking view that he overlooked.

Ever since Simba had returned to take his place as King, the Pridelands had been healing dramatically. The lush grass was back and the herds had quickly followed suit. The sun shone again, no longer hindered by the smoke of the constantly burning grass fires. Thanks to Simba, the balance of the Pridelands had been restored and peace had reigned… for a while.

In the past months, however, the pride had begun a tragic downward spiral. Though the balance of the land was well kept, the pride itself had been struggling. It had all started when Zira had brutally murdered Kopa, the King's son. The exile of her and her followers had left the pride weak and at hardly half strength. The grief over the tragedy had affected everyone greatly, especially the king and queen. Amari felt terrible for the new rulers; he had grown up under Scar's rule, but even then there had been no murder. Sure there were scraps and violent events between the hyenas and lions, and starvation seemed imminent, but no one was ever _murdered,_ let alone a _cub!_

To make matters worse, a terrible sickness had swept over the pride soon after the murderers' exile. It was a nasty virus that left its victims incapacitated for up to two months with high fevers and fatigue. Amari had been one of the first to fall ill to the infection, and he shuddered involuntarily at the memory of the awful feeling. He didn't remember much of what happened when he was in the deeper stages of the fever, but when he awoke there were many others suffering from the same illness. It was a 24-hour job for the un-infected or already recovered lions to care for their sick family. Within a few short weeks, Priderock had been transformed into a hospital.

It was only a matter of time before they reached the peak of the illness. Many of the stronger pride members had already begun to show symptoms and they were quickly dropping to join the ranks of the incapacitated victims that they had been caring for.

Amari groaned inwardly as he stones in the ground. It seemed like every other step resulted in him almost tripping and remembered what he was supposed to be doing. He sighed deeply and pulled away from his reminiscing to make his way towards the main cave. He was late for his shift, and he knew it. Nala would be irritated with him to say the least. He trotted down the level path at a brisk pace, trying in vain to avoid the protruding objects and falling onto his face.

By some miracle, he made his way into the deep cavern without falling again. He scanned the faces of the sick and the healthy alike, searching for the queen. He couldn't see her; _maybe she was out getting water,_ he thought to himself. He was about to turn away to go search for her, but-

"AMARI!" a voice cracked like a whip.

The young lion winced and turned to face the queen. _He had never heard her yell like this before_. "Y-yes, your highne- _Keela?_" he exclaimed with confusion.

"_There_ you are… did you sleep in or something?" The grizzled old lioness growled as she approached the late arrival. "We have _work _to do!"

_Oh great…_ It wasn't that Amari disliked Keela; she was certainly good at getting jobs done and her style was unbeatably effective. He respected her age and her status in the pride… _But still,_ he didn't want to be the focus of her attention.

"Um… yea." Amari stuttered confusedly. "I was looking for Nala to find out what she wanted me to start with…"

Keela shook her head irritably as if he should have known something important. "Nala took a turn for the worse last night; Simba too. They're both resting in the side cave."

"_What?"_ Amari nearly shouted, keeping his voice as low as he could for the comfort of the sick lions around them. "Are they okay?"

Keela shrugged. "They're sick just like everybody else, so I think it's safe to assume that after a month or two they will recover, just like _everybody else._" She added emphasis on the end of her sentence to imply the stupidity of his question.

"So… Who…"

"Nala put _me_ in charge of taking care of the sick, so consider _me_ to be your new _boss_."

Amari groaned, and Keela's eyes went wide with anger. "Don't give me that! Go over and help Mela with the bedding!"

Amari nodded with a frown on his face. Sure, he respected Keela, but he did _not_ like the idea of her being in charge, especially not of him. At least he was being partnered up with Mela, one of the only other pride members that was his age.

"Good morning," she replied without looking up from the grass she was laying out. "I hope that it wasn't too hard for you to _wake_ up this morning."

Amari frowned. _Was everyone against him today?_ "I know, I slept in! Keela made it all very clear… Can we please get on with whatever it is that we're doing now?"

"Fine," she replied irritably, no doubt because she had been overworked all morning due to his absence. "Go get the Acacia blossoms from the shelf over there; I need them for the last layer for tonight's beds."

He looked across the cave at the items she mentioned. Between him and the blossoms were a dozen sick lions and a heap of old bedding that needed to be removed. "The shelf all the way over_ there?" _he asked incredulously. "Can't _you_ just do it?"

Mela's head snapped up sharply, her eyes the epitome of rage. "_No,_ Amari." She hissed. "I'm doing _this!_ Now go get the blossoms _now!_"

Amari had a feeling that if there weren't so many resting lions around, she would have been screaming. With a sigh if irritation, he went off to complete his task. Albeit begrudgingly. He liked Mela, (more than she knew) but he hated how she sometimes took on this bossy tone with him.

The young lion stepped carefully over the sleeping invalids with as much precision as he could, but inevitably he stepped on a tail or two. For him, trips and missteps were a simple part of walking. Within a few minutes, he reached the stone ledge where the blossoms were laying and was about to lift them up with his mouth.

"God, Amari." A familiar voice said behind him. Mela pushed him aside gently, but with significant discord, as she picked up the blossoms herself. Clearly he had been taking too long with navigating through the sick lions, and she had gotten fed up with it. "Grab those." She said with surprising clarity through her mouthful of blossoms.

Amari nodded and grabbed the bundle of sticks that she had gestured to. He turned to face the lioness, but she was already halfway back to her work. She walked through the bodies with ease; her feet falling firmly and deliberately on the hard stone floor, and _not_ onto the tails of the ill pridelanders. Amari just sighed inwardly and began his own route.

Several minutes and several death threats from sickly lions later, he reached Mela and the bedding she was working on. She had already used all the blossoms and was waiting as patiently as she could for the sticks that he was carrying.

"Thank you." She said curtly as he dropped them at her feet. "But next time try and go a little fas-" she stopped and looked at him curiously. "Did you fall _again?"_

Amari shifted his weight uncomfortably. "What makes you thin-"

"I can see bits of plant and dirt in your fur."

"Oh… uh…" he stammered nervously. "It was just a little fall from earlier this morning."

Mela nodded and began to evaluate him more carefully. "Yea… it looks more like you were caught in a landslide..."

"It wasn't that bad…"

Mela just sighed and went back to her work. "You _need_ to be more careful, Amari. Some day you're going to get tripped up and go falling down the edge of Priderock. You won't be able to shake _that _off."

"Yes, _Mother_." He replied sarcastically.

"You know that I'm right."

He sighed. "Yea… you usually are."

The two continued on their work for some time before eventually switching over to retrieving water from the nearby stream. It was no easy task, even for Mela. The big bowl-shaped leaves that they used were very awkward to hold, and their teeth had a tendency to rip through the plant material. As a result, they frequently had to go and fetch new leaves.

"Careful, Amari." Mela warned him from where she stood on the ground. "Don't fall."

"I've… _almost_… GOT IT!" the young lion cried as his paws closed around a handful of the large leaves. His jubilation soon dissipated as lost his grip on the tree trunk. He glanced down with fear at the ground ten feet below. Mela closed her eyes; she knew what was coming.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" He yelled as his claws lost their grip on the smooth wood. He felt his stomach shoot up into his throat as he began the freefall back to the earth. _Not again…_ he thought to himself.

"_WHUMFF!_" came the expected, if sickening noise. Amari groaned in pain and rolled onto his back with his eyes winced shut. It felt like his body was on fire and that his back was broken.

"Are you okay?" Mela asked concernedly, gently pushing on his side.

He opened his eyes a crack to see her standing over him. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn that she had some _genuine_ sympathy in her eyes. "Yea…" he murmured as he rose slowly to his feet. "I'm fine; just got the wind knocked out of me… It happens."

She nodded. "It seems to 'happen' to _you_ more than to anybody else."

"I'm used to it…"

"HEY!"Mela shouted suddenly, making Amari wince.

"_What?"_

She frowned at the injured lion. "Not _you,_ _him!"_

He blinked in confusion and turned to look at what she was talking about. Not too far away, stood a lone lion. An _unfamiliar and dangerous-looking _lone lion. His fur was matted and disheveled and his eyes were dark and foreboding. He approached the two slowly, but deliberately. It was intimidating to say the least.

"_What_?" he asked Mela with a slight hiss.

"Uh… um… _W-who_ are you?" she said softly, her initial bravery suddenly depleted. Amari just sat there, petrified in the presence of the scary beast.

"_Who_ I am doesn't matter… what I _represent _does. Where is your king?"

"He… uh… He's not really avail-"

"He's at Priderock!" Amari blurted.

Mela glared at him. "But he isn't available right now…"

The unkept lion just grinned. "That's _just_ fine." With that, he walked off in a brisk towards the direction of Priderock, quickly disappearing into the shrubbery.

Mela watched the plants for a moment before turning back to Amari. "YOU DON'T JUST TELL A RANDOM STRANGER WHERE OUR SICK KING IS!"

"Sorry, I panicked!"

Mela's eyes were wide as she tried to formulate a plan. "Come on!" she said urgently. "We need to get back first! We'll take the longer way, but we'll run faster than him."

Amari nodded. "But-"

"There's no time! Come on!" she shouted before running off.

The young lion groaned. _This was not a good day._

**(((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

The pair burst from the foliage near Priderock with the expression of sheer exhaustion on their faces. Amari was covered in burrs, dirt, and sticks from the countless times that he had tripped. Mela just looked extremely frustrated, no doubt due to how her friend had slowed her down so significantly.

They glanced up to the peak of Priderock to see the same lion exiting the main cave and receiving many angry glares from the healthy lionesses around him. He just sneered at them and trotted down the ramp to the ground below with surprising casualness. _They had missed him! _He stopped for a moment and stared at the two young lions with a chilling glare. Amari shivered involuntarily.

The two climbed the ramp hurriedly to the small gathering at the top. The lionesses talked amongst themselves worriedly with concerned expressions on their faces.

"What happened?" Mela asked one of them.

"The lion…" Keela replied sullenly. "He came here to threaten us…"

Amari blinked in surprise. "What? Why would anyone _threaten_ us?"

"Because we're weak right now."

"Still," Mela protested. "One lion can't take us down!"

Keela shook her head. "He was just a messenger… there will be a whole _gang_ of them coming soon."

"_How_ soon?"

"One month."

Amari frowned. _One month wasn't enough time for everyone to recover from the sickness_… _especially not Simba or Nala. _"What do they want?"

Keela sighed forlornly. _"Everything_."

*****Author's Note*****

**Thank you for reading the first chapter of my next story. As I said in the A/N of "Path of a Rogue Warrior," I like to begin my next story **_**before**_** I finish my other one so that they sort of compliment each other. That being said, I hope that those of you who have not read the above mentioned story, I really hope that you do.**

**Thanks for reading, please comment!**

**-Ben**


	2. Chapter 2: A Mission

*****Chapter 2*****

*****A Mission*****

The king did not look good; his red mane was matted and dirty and his eyes were caked with mucus. He occasionally hacked an unproductive cough that resounded off the cave walls with unsettling clarity. The mighty King Simba had been brought to his knees by the sickness, just as everyone else had been. Nevertheless, he refused to retire for the duration of the illness. He may have been sick, but he was _not_ going to shirk his duties as the King.

Amari and the others watched him closely as Simba quietly discussed the matters with Nala and Zazu. As the rest of the pride waited patiently for his address, Amari felt his eyes wander. He was never very good with anything serious like this. Sure, he was worried, but he just couldn't get himself to focus that well. He never had to, Simba and everyone else would surely sort it all out and everything would be back to normal soon enough. He watched Nala for a moment or two, surprised at how bad she looked in comparison to the day before. The illness had hit her like a rock, and she had fallen fast. In her arms lay her sleeping cub, the only thing that had kept them going after Kopa's death. Kiara had been one of the first to fall ill when the sickness had struck, and there was concern as to whether she would survive. Thankfully, the gods were not so cruel as to take away _both_ of their children.

A violent cough from Simba brought Amari back to reality. The young lion watched as the King looked up at them all. He did not attempt to stand, but he still commanded the respect of his audience.

"You all know what that lion said…" he began slowly. "In one month, he will be back with his gang of rouges. They want to take the Pridelands from themselves… all hunting rights, all territory claims, _everything. _He threatened that if they returned in one month and we were still here, that they would take the land by force. _That_, my friends, is the situation."

A fire of whispers and concerned murmurs spread through the crowd. Simba attempted to clear his throat, but broke into another string of hacks instead. Within a few moments, everyone was quiet again.

"Let me make this clear," continued the king. "We will not leave. Aside from the fact that too many of us are too sick to travel, we will _not_ be _bullied_ from our own home!"

Despite his condition, Simba spoke forcefully enough to send chills down Amari's spine.

"This is my father's land, and it is our _home_. I won't abandon it all just because someone comes here and acts tough. _Maybe_ he was just trying to scare us out of our lands and he doesn't even have a gang to back him up."

"And if he _does_ have a gang to back him up?" Keela asked worriedly. She wasn't trying to find a fault in his logic, she was just concerned.

"_If_, they _do_ return, then we will just have to deal with that when the time comes. Hopefully enough of us will be back to full health and we will not have to struggle too much for our lands."

The comment seemed to calm the pride enough, but distress remained to some extent.

"And… what if we can't fight them off?" a quiet voice asked from the back.

Simba frowned. "This is _our_ home. _We_ were the ones who took it back from the hyenas and if we could do _that_, then there is no reason that we can't fight off a handful of mangy rogues, even if we are a little sick."

Everyone stood up a little straighter. Just as Amari had thought, everything would be alright. He felt a sudden nudge in his side and looked over to see Mela over his shoulder.

"_Come on,_" she whispered. "_There's still work to do_."

He sighed, but followed her reluctantly out of the cave. The older lions were starting to talk about the finer details of it all; all boring stuff anyways. The cool breeze that hit him as he exited the cave was refreshing compared to the musty cave.

"Come on." Mela reminded him.

"Yea, yea." He replied, falling into step alongside her. "I know."

"Crazy stuff, huh?"

Amari shrugged. "It will all work out. It always does."

Mela stopped walking, a sudden expression of pure shock evident on her face. "_What_?"

Amari blinked in surprise at her reaction. "You know… Simba and Nala always take care of this sort of thing… It'll be okay."

Mela frowned. "You don't feel any sense of responsibility or _anything?_"

"It's not my job…"

Mela stared at him incredulously. "Maybe you don't _get it_… Simba just said all that stuff to keep everyone calm. If more than _a couple_ rogues show up in a month and Simba isn't fully recovered…" she shook her head.

"Then we'll fight them off ourselves." He finished.

"NO!" she cried, clearly infuriated by his ignorance. "The king is the leader of the Pride! _He's _the one that fights! Sure the rest of us _can,_ but in one month the sick will outnumber the healthy more than two to one! We won't have either the manpower or the energy to fight them off!"

Amari frowned. "But Simba said…"

"Simba is being a good king and keeping everyone calm! He knows that we can't leave, so he's trying to keep our spirits as high as he can." She sighed deeply and covered her eyes with her paw out of irritation. "The bottom line, Amari… is that unless Simba and everyone else gets better _soon, _there's a very good chance that we may be driven out of our own lands!"

Amari was speechless. "I-uh…" He sat down, suddenly nauseas. _She couldn't be right_, it was just too… _catastrophic_. Then again, Mela was a very logical lioness. She was rarely wrong. "Sorry… I didn't get it."

Mela was silent as she watched him cope with the sudden realization.

"But… what about us… where will _we_ go? The sick won't survive traveling like that… I… You…"

Mela's expression softened slightly and she released a deep sigh. She clearly felt bad for shouting. "I'm sorry, Amari… I got a little worked up. I shouldn't have yelled."

"No… you were right." He said slowly. "I _should_ be doing something to help."

"You _do _help; you help every day in taking care of the sick! I'm sorry, I was just venting."

He dug at a piece of rock protruding from the dirt as he contemplated her earlier comment. _Sure he tried to help, but he wasn't any good at helping the sick_. He spilled water, dropped herbs, stepped on tails (in more ways than one), and was just an overall burden on the others who were actually doing well with their jobs.

"I'm no good at all of this…" he said softly. "I need to do something more."

"Amari, no." Mela tried again in vain to take back her outburst. "You're _fine._"

_He could never do anything right; he only slowed everyone else down… but maybe he could do something else. Maybe there was someone out there who could help them._

"Amari?" Mela asked slowly, waving a paw in his face. "You in there?"

The young lion blinked. "Uh, yea… I was just thinking… I've got an idea."

Mela frowned. "Not to be a downer, but you don't always have the best ideas."

"This one is good, trust me!"

"Amari…

The young lion wasn't listening. He looked back to see the rest of the pride filing out of the main cave; they had clearly finished the discussions.

"I gotta go, seeya Mela." He said, taking of back towards the main cave.

Mela just shook her head exasperatedly as he left. She had seen his supposedly _flawless_ plans fail dismally before. There was little reason that this one wouldn't either.

Amari dodged the departing lionesses as they left the cave, inevitably bumping into most of them and drawing irritable glances from them.

"Sorry," he muttered with embarrassment after tripping and falling into Keela. She just growled irritably and kept walking.

To Amari, bothering others like that was just a part of daily life. Sure he wished that he could avoid it, but he just couldn't help it. He sucked at being coordinated, it was who he was. He approached the cave's daunting entrance hesitantly, suddenly becoming very nervous about the upcoming conversation. _What would Simba and Nala think? Would they laugh at him? Mock him? _He took a deep breath and stepped out of the sunlight and into the cool shade afforded by Priderock.

After a moment his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he moved back towards the corner where Simba and Nala lay with their young cub. Rafiki had joined them since he had last seen them, preparing what was likely a potion of sorts to help with the symptoms of the sickness. Simba's cough was ragged and echoed sharply of the cave walls.

Amari slowly walked towards them, becoming increasingly nervous as he went. He didn't speak with the King and Queen often… he rarely had the nerve. Whenever they had approached him with conversation, he had responded with quick and concise sentences that got him out of their sight as quickly as possible. It wasn't that he _didn't like_ them; in fact it was completely the opposite. _He idolized them_; he was just afraid that he would mess up in front of them… and they would see him like everyone else did. _A screw up_.

"Amari?" Nala asked weakly as he approached.

The young lion shook away his last thought and prepared to speak with royalty.

"What is it?" she asked him tenderly; she was well aware of his shy personality. Better to not make him uncomfortable.

"Uh, hello… your majesty-I mean _majesties_!" he caught quickly, remembering that Simba was there as well.

"Hello, Amari." Simba spoke with a smile.

"I-uh..." he began slowly; his idea was disintegrating in his head as quickly as it had formed. His heart beat faster and he felt lightheaded. _Don't mess up! Don't mess up!_ He thought frantically. "Um… I was thinking- I mean I wanted to _ask_ you- I mean-"

"Amari." Simba interrupted, effectively silencing the nervous lion. "_Relax_."

Amari took a deep breath.

Nala grinned before speaking softly. "Just say what you came here to say."

Amari nodded. "I wanted to offer… to tell you about an idea that I had."

The older lions nodded calmly and waited for him to continue.

"I'm not helping much around here, I mean I'm _trying_, but I'm not very good at anything. I was thinking that maybe, I mean, if you wanted me to… I could leave Priderock and look for someone to help us against the rogues in case they come back."

Simba raised his eyebrows in surprise and Nala's eyes widened. Even Rafiki, (who Amari had just remembered was still there) stopped what he was doing.

"Do you realize what you are suggesting Amari?" Simba said slowly.

He nodded. "I know that it will be a little tougher for everyone else with one less helper, but-"

"No," Nala interjected. "This isn't about us, it's about _you."_

"Me?"

Simba sighed. "Here at Priderock we are safe and content in the comfort of each other. Out in the wilderness, though… you're on your own. _No one will help you_."

Amari blinked. _ He hadn't thought of that_. "I-uh…"

Nala frowned. "I'm not sure that you are really aware of how _dangerous_ it is to be out on your own."

"Well, ideally I _won't_ be alone. I'll be looking for someone to help so I'll be with other prides."

Rafiki stepped forward, breaking his previous silence. "Dat is almost worse."

"What?" he asked confusedly. "Why?"

The mandrill sighed and placed his potion down on a rock. "Priderock is a vedy nice place wit an even nicer pride. Oder places are not so nice… dere are many rogues and everyone is afraid of de oders."

Amari nodded reluctantly, though he had slight difficulty understanding the monkey's strange accent. "But… If we don't get someone to help, we'll be facing those same rogues _ourselves _when we are alone and weak."

Simba and Nala both frowned simultaneously. They clearly didn't like the idea of sending their least physically inclined pride member out into the wilderness on a seemingly hopeless mission.

"We _need_ this." Amari pleaded. "Please, I want to help!"

A slight gleam shone suddenly in Rafiki's eye, surprising him greatly. It was as if the mandrill had suddenly remembered something important. "Wait a moment here…" he said distractedly as he hustled off towards a pile of junk. "I tink dat I may have something for you all!"

Simba chuckled slightly at the shaman's frantic searching, but quickly broke into a sharp cough that sounded dreadfully painful. Nala placed her paw around her mate's shoulder in a vain attempt to soothe his hacking.

"I'm sorry, Amari." The king said weakly once he recovered. "But I won't allow you to go out alone, even if we _do_ need someone's help."

"Then I'll go with him!" a voice burst from behind them. Amari turned sharply, (almost falling over in the process) and stared in amazement at the lioness that was walking over to them.

"Mela?" he asked incredulously.

She smiled softly at him before turning to the King and Queen. "If he needs someone to go with him, I'll be the one to do it. He's right, _we do need help_."

Simba and Nala exchanged glances unsurely.

"HA!" cried Rafiki from across the cave. "Found it!"

Mela blinked and turned to Amari. "Found what?"

He only shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

The lions waited patiently as the mandrill approached them, a wide chunk of dried wood under his arm and an even wider grin across his pleased face. He walked to the center of the group and dropped the piece of wood with a dull 'thud'. Dust rose slightly from the impact, making Nala sneeze involuntarily.

Once Amari blinked the dust from his eyes, he looked at the wood with interest. Its flatter side was covered with a variety of pictograms and symbols. There were several lions, a few herd animals, and many undecipherable images that resembled anything from objects in nature to the sun and stars themselves.

"What is this, Rafiki?" Simba asked quizzically, clearly intrigued by the wood.

"Dis, Sire… is from _loooong _ago. It is one of de few tings dat I have from _my _teacher."

"That didn't really answer my question…"

The mandrill chuckled. "I suppose not, Sire. It is a… _prophecy _of sorts."

The lion grinned. "_Really?_" he said sarcastically. "You know that I've never been much for those sorts of things."

Nala frowned. "What are you _talking_ about, Simba? You claim to have seen your father's ghost and to speak with him on a regular basis! A prophecy is _right_ up our alley!"

The king shook his head. "The afterlife is different than a prophecy, Nala. I may believe that my father is watching over me, but a predestined set of circumstances is something else entirely. I believe that we make our _own_ destinies."

"Spoken like da wise king dat you are." Rafiki said quietly. "But dis is different. It has a way of coming true in vedy strange ways. Many times, I look at it and am surprised wit what has come true."

"Like what?" Mela asked slowly, clearly skeptical of it all.

Rafiki scanned the wood quickly before looking up to her. "Here!" he claimed triumphantly. "It predicts de great sacrifice of de king and how de sacrifice saved de Pridelands."

Mela looked confused. "Which king?"

"My father." Simba said quietly. "He gave his life to ensure that I would live. Scar may have killed him, but he still died for _me_."

Now Amari was the one who was confused. "But how did that sacrifice _save_ the Pridelands? It gave Scar the opportunity to ruin everything!"

"Yes, but de sacrifice was to save _Simba_. By saving him, Mufasa allowed him to return and take his place as de true King." Rafiki scanned the wood again, somehow managing to multitask both explaining and reading. "Dat is what I mean. De foretelling never comes true in de way dat you tink it will. I stopped trying to understand it because I was never right. Dey almost always come true, but only _after_ do you realize that de prophecy was fulfilled. Never while it is actually _happening_."

Simba nodded. "Alright, fine. Supposing that this _is_ a legitimate prophecy, you just said that it was impossible to understand. Why are you trying to now?"

"Dere is one prediction dat seems quite clear… and it is supposed to be occurring about now. It speaks of a lion dat can be found in de wilderness. He can save our lands from de danger we face."

Nala raised here eyebrows. "Well that's pretty explicit, but maybe it already happened. Maybe the _hero_ is Simba. After all, I did find him out in the wilderness and he _did_ save the lands."

"No." insisted Rafiki. "Dat was already mentioned in a different piece… Dere is too much space in between dat part and _dis_ part."

Simba nodded slowly. "Alright. Even assuming that there _is_ someone out there that could help us, I still don't like the idea of sending you two out to find him. It's too dangerous and you are too young."

Amari frowned. _He and Mela were almost fully grown lions!_

"Simba," Began Nala slowly. "I was younger than them when _I_ went looking for you."

"That was different."

"Not really; it was for the good of the Pride."

Rafiki looked up from the wooden carvings that he had sunken into, apparently reminiscing about old times and prophecies that had since been fulfilled. "Sire it may be a difficult choice, but I tink dat it would be a good idea to look for help."

The king was silent for a moment. His eyes zoned out of focus as he delved deep into his own thoughts and contemplated the situation at hand. "Amari, Mela… you will both go together?"

"Yes." They replied simultaneously before exchanging a short glance. Amari still wasn't quite sure why she was volunteering for this, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

"And you'll be careful?"

Mela nodded. "Of course. We'll watch out for each other and be really cautious when we go into any other prides."

Nala looked at her mate expectantly; it was clear what she wanted him to do.

"Fine." Simba sighed exasperatedly. "I still think it's dangerous, but so is staying here I guess." He paused for a moment and looked them over slowly. "If you can find this _hero,_ the entire Pridelands will be in your debt. I don't think that I need to explain what will happen if the gang of rogues _does_ come back and we aren't ready. There are lives at stake, and we _do_ need help. I just don't want you two to get hurt."

Amari tried to reassure him, but the words didn't come out fast enough. Mela beat him to it.

"We're willing to take the risk, Sire." She said in a rather serious tone that wasn't tremendously unlike her normal attitude.

"I'm grateful to you both. You can leave whenever you like."

Nala smiled and Rafiki's normal smile widened slightly. "When you leave, head to de South. Dere are more lions dat way and dey tend to be a bit friendlier."

The young lion's nodded. "Thank you."

"Good luck." Nala said softly before they turned away and headed for the cave's exit. She watched them leave with a small smile on her face. "I would be excited for them if I wasn't so worried." She said quietly to her mate once they were out of earshot.

Simba nodded. "It can be a great thing to see the world outside of the Pridelands. It makes you appreciate what we have here."

"Dat is true," Rafiki said without looking up. "De lands are dangerous and tough. It can break a lion… or sometimes _make_ one."

"You're thinking of the hero?"

Rafiki nodded. "Fortitude is one ting dat is many times lost when tings get hard. He must be vedy strong in order to preserve his own morality."

"But…" Nala pressed the mandrill, "You said that the prophecies never turn out as expected. Why should this one be any different?"

"I don't know." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe it _won't_ be as clear-cut as we thought. We will have to wait and see."

"Waiting…" Simba growled irritably. "The one thing that I always _hated_."

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

There wasn't much to do before they left for the wilderness. It wasn't like they needed to bring anything; they would hunt for food along the way. Aside from a few goodbyes, there was little to do before departing. Though Amari had wanted to keep it all slightly low key, everyone soon found out. It was the nature of old lionesses to discover the secrets of the younger lions. Before the duo could leave, they were intercepted by everyone else at the base of Priderock.

"You kids be careful." Keela said as she approached them. "It's dangerous out there."

Amari nodded, but kept his eyes on the ground. He still didn't feel comfortable around Keela, even if she _was_ being nice.

"Thanks Keela." Mela replied politely. "We'll be back soon." She looked to the other lionesses. "And hopefully we'll have help with us."

Keela nodded. "Let's hope… for all of our sakes."

After Mela said her goodbyes to the rest of the pride, (Amari wasn't really close enough to anyone to really have a heartfelt goodbye) she turned to Amari. "Ready?" she asked with a grim smile.

He took a deep breath and looked over the savannah. Things had changed so fast over the past few days; it was quite overwhelming. He hadn't really questioned himself when he was thinking of the plan, but now the question was obvious: _Was_ he ready? Did he have what it would take to travel through the wilderness and return with a hero? He doubted it, and from the looks in everyone else's eyes, so did they.

He gulped away the thick knot in his throat. _What could he say?_ No, he _wasn't _ready? That he _didn't_ want to go anymore? The battle raged for what seemed like hours in his head, though it was really hardly more than a few moments. In the end, it didn't matter what the pride needed. _He was afraid_, but not of what he thought he would be_._ Not of the danger in the wilderness and the prospect of death. No, Amari was afraid of something else… he was afraid to be a coward in front of his Pride. He was too ashamed of his own fear to admit it. He had dug this hole himself… it was time to face the music.

"Yea…" he lied. "I'm ready."

*****Author's Note*****

**Sorry everyone for the longer than usual wait, been kind of busy with the holidays coming up. Side note: this story was inspired by the song "**_**Hero**_**" by Skillet.**

**Thanks for reading, Hope you enjoyed it enough to leave a review!**

**-Ben**


	3. Chapter 3: The Fighter

*****Chapter 3*****

*****The Fighter*****

"I'm _tired_." Amari groaned. "We've been walking for _hours._"

"Stop whining. We still have a long ways to go if we want to make decent time."

"Decent time to _where?_ We don't even know where we're going."

Mela turned to her friend with the expression of pure irritation. "Amari, this was _your_ idea. Stop whining and keep walking!"

Amari was quiet and hung his head low, watching the dry ground pass under his feet. He knew she was right, this _was_ his idea and he shouldn't complain. After all, what were a few sore paws compared to being driven out of their home? "Sorry…" he mumbled.

Mela didn't speak. It was clear that she was already quite annoyed.

Amari lifted his head from the ground and looked at her for several moments. She was several steps ahead, so she didn't notice his eyes on her. _She was very pretty_. He thought to himself. Her coat was as perfect as they came and her personality was fiery. Amari realized that he was staring and quickly looked away. He liked her… a _lot_. But she couldn't know. He wouldn't tell her. Besides, she all but hated him; she surely didn't like him like that.

_STONE! _He thought to himself in a mild panic as he saw the rock protruding from the ground. He tried to change the direction of his step, but it was too late.

"_WHUMF_!" He winced in pain as his body fell across the ground in a disheveled mess, his face dragging along the ground in extreme discomfort. Amari groaned as he opened his eyes, bits of dirt and debris falling from his eyebrows.

Mela stood over him with a tinge of sympathy in her eyes. "You tripped." She remarked dryly.

He snorted and shook his head to get the dust out of his eyes. "No kidding."

Mela frowned as he rose to his feet. "I'm _really_ not trying to be mean, Amari," she began slowly, "But you are probably the _clumsiest_ lion that I know."

He nodded sullenly. "Yea, I know."

"If you just paid a little more attention to your surroundings you wouldn't fall so much."

Amari shook off the last of the dirt and started walking, not even looking at Mela as he passed her. "Thanks for the insight." He remarked sarcastically.

The duo walked for hours more in the light of the setting sun. Its orange glow tinted all the surroundings with the warm light of the ending day. Despite Amari's complaints, Mela kept them going until the sun finally sunk below the horizon. Then, when the still light sky was contrasting with the dark ground, they sought shelter. They came across a large boulder with a large chunk taken out of its side, creating an overhang of sorts.

The accommodations were cramped to say the least, but they managed to squeeze into it without too much trouble. Amari tried to keep to keep to his side of the overhang, but he inevitably bumped up against Mela later in the night, waking her from her deep sleep. She growled at him dangerously and he made a mental note to not do it again.

**(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

"Get up." A bored sounding voice said.

Amari groaned, but kept his eyes shut tightly. "Nooo_oo_…" he moaned as he rolled back deeper under the overhang.

Mela frowned and inhaled deeply. _This was not going to end well for him if he didn't get up._

Much to her distaste, Amari groaned again. "It's too _early_!"

"The sun is already up! Stop being so lazy and _get_ _out here!_" she demanded.

"No!"

She sighed deeply. "Fine, have fun with that tarantula."

Amari's eyes shot open. "_TARANTULA?"_ he screamed as he shot up, striking his head solidly on the overhang above with a sickening _'crack'_. Despite the pain, he exited the shelter with remarkable speed.

Mela watched him with vague amusement as he rubbed his injured head and analyzed the overhang for the fearsome spider. "I don't see it! Where did it go?" he asked frantically.

"Must have run off," Mela replied dryly. "Come on, let's go."

Amari turned to her slowly. "There _wasn't_ a tarantula at all, was there?"

She suppressed a grin. "Nope. Let's go."

Amari frowned and rubbed his throbbing skull with his paw. There was already a decent sized lump forming under the skin. "_Fine_. Which way?"

"I was looking around for a bit before you got up; I think that there may be a pride over the next hill."

"Why do you say that?"

"I found tracks, signs of hunting, usual pride stuff."

"Oh." He replied.

She led the way through the savannah, carefully maneuvering through the brush and foliage. Amari followed closely behind her and watched her with interest. He analyzed how she moved so fluidly despite the treacherous terrain. From what he could tell, she looked only at objects farther up the path. She took it all in at once and dealt with the obstacles as she approached them.

_Maybe that was what he was doing wrong._ He thought to himself. Amari had always looked at only the ground directly in front of him with little notice of the upcoming obstructions. As a result, he was often surprised when obstacles came seemingly out of nowhere and tripped him.

He decided to give it a try; he looked farther up the trail and looked for anything that might possibly trip him up when he came to it. He saw a protruding rock, and stepped over it. He saw a low hanging branch, and ducked under it. Mela stopped. So did he, and in time to avoid rear-ending her. Amari was pleased enough with himself to allow a wide grin to spread across his face. Maybe he still wasn't as coordinated as Mela or anyone else, but he was getting _better_. And better was good enough for him.

"Look." Mela said softly.

Amari took a couple steps to stand beside her and looked to where she was gesturing. Up ahead was a small group of lions. Perhaps a pride, but it seemed unlikely; there were too many males. Sure, lion prides often contained several males (assuming that the king was not too paranoid), but here the males outnumbered the females. Three males, two females, and one small teenage lion.

They were a ways away, but it seemed that the older lions were preparing to fight the younger lion. They growled dangerously, but he simply stood there with a calm expression on his face.

"Is that a pride?" Amari whispered to Mela.

She shook her head. "I think it's more like a band of rogues… and I think that the smaller guy is in trouble."

Amari looked back to the situation. It seemed quite hopeless; the young lion was outnumbered three to one, (the females didn't look like they were going to fight). The lions weren't very big or anything, in fact they looked a bit skinny. Still, it was three to one and the teenage lion didn't even seem _nervous_!

"Should we help him?" he asked Mela softly.

"I-I want too…" she said wistfully. "But we wouldn't be able to do anything. We'd lose with him."

Amari nodded sullenly. He knew she was right; all they could do was watch.

The teenager said something inaudible and smiled as he sank into a fighting stance. If Amari didn't know better, he would have said that the younger lion's stance was better and more experienced than his opponents'.

One of the older lions roared angrily and lunged out with his jaws extended. Both Amari and Mela cringed in anticipation of the blow that the younger lion would surely receive. Much to their surprise, the teenager sidestepped the attack with unexpected speed. As the attacker's eyes widened as he realized what had happened, the defender spun quickly, catching the flying lion with his extended claws. The older lion fell to the ground, roaring in pain and trying to stand before the teenager threw himself on his wounded body. The struggle was brief; the older lion's wound was debilitating and he was quickly overpowered by the faster lion. He gasped, and then gurgled quietly as his throat was ripped out.

Mela made a sound of shock that was something like a cross between a gasp and a squeal. Amari just watched with amazement as the other two lions threw themselves at the younger lion. He dodged their initial attacks easily before retaliating with a fury of blows from all directions. He struck high, low, then swept out a leg. The older lions managed to land a few hits, drawing thin red lines in the teenager's hide, but they were ultimately meaningless. The first roared as claw sunk deep into his chest and blood poured from the wound. The second backed away in fear as his companion's breath became lighter and lighter before ultimately stopping all together.

The teenager took a menacing step towards his opponent with a grin on his face, causing the last lion and the lionesses to withdraw. They had the fear of god in their eyes as they rushed from the area and disappeared into the foliage. The younger lion stood there for a moment, eyeing the dead lions at his feet with vague interest.

"Did you _see_ that?" he asked Mela excitedly. "Maybe _he_ can help us!" With that, he exited the brush and headed down towards the young lion.

"Amari!" Mela hissed nervously. "_Wait!_ He might be-"

Amari wasn't listening, he was already gone. "Hey!" he shouted enthusiastically to the young lion.

He looked up with carefully hidden surprise as Amari approached. As his eyes came into focus, Amari became surprised by the coldness that radiated from them. It was a sharp focus that seemed dangerous to say the least.

"Uh, Hi…" he began nervously. "That was really amazing!"

The teenager looked at him blankly without speaking a word.

"Um… my name is Amari… this is Mela." He tried again, gesturing to Mela as she walked up to them. Her face was the expression of concern, it was clear that she didn't trust this lion.

"My name is Kiota." He replied calmly. "What do you want?"

"You, uh- you were really great back there! I mean, we didn't think that you were gonna be able to get out of that."

Kiota cocked his head to the side. "Have you been following me?" he hissed dangerously.

Mela blinked. "What? No! We were just in the area and we stumbled upon you getting attacked by those jerks."

Amari nodded. "Why were they attacking you, anyways? Where's your pride?"

A barely perceptible grin spread over his face. "They attacked me because I challenged them."

"Wait…" Amari said confusedly. "_You_ challenged _them_? Why?"

"I wanted to fight."

Mela frowned. "Who were they?"

"A small group of friends I think. I don't know, and I don't really care."

Amari was speechless. _He had killed them for the fun of it? He was the instigator?_ It seemed all wrong; what kind of lion would simply _kill_ for the thrill of it? It was _sick_.

Kiota smiled again. "I think that you should _leave_ now."

Amari nodded and stepped back, sensing the threat behind the words.

"Wait," Mela insisted nervously. "Maybe you could help us."

Kiota frowned. "How so?"

Amari looked to her with worry. _She couldn't possibly want this evil lion to be their hero!_

"Our pride needs help, a gang of rogues is coming in less than a month to try and force us out of our home!"

"No thanks." He replied shortly before turning away.

"Wait!" she cried. "You didn't even hear the wors-"

"Let him go, Mela…" Amari cut her off.

She looked at him with surprise. "What? No, we need him to-"

"No we don't." He turned away and headed towards the brush. Mela fell into step beside him.

"Oh, come on, Amari! You saw him fight, he could _help_ us!"

"No! He'll only help _himself!_ He's not the one we're looking for; we want a _hero_."

"Maybe he _was_ a jerk, but does that really matter if he can get rid of the rogues?"

"_Yes!_" his adamant response took her off guard. "We need a _real_ hero, not some sadistic _killer_!" He looked back to Kiota. The teenage lion was heading in the opposite direction and soon disappeared into the foliage. "That guy was _not_ a hero."

*****Author's Note*****

**Thanks for reading the next chapter, and I hope you appreciate the young Kiota.**

**Please review!**

**-Ben**


	4. Chapter 4: Searching

*****Chapter 4*****

*****Searching*****

It was hot. The air seemed to be so humid that water seemed to just stick to everything. The air couldn't hold it, so it just made everything wet. The ground, the grass, Amari's fur; it felt so nasty to him. The pale-furred lion looked around boredly, listening vaguely to the conversation at hand. It was just so _hot_. The sun beat down on his brow with a harsh intensity that he was still not used to despite their prolonged exposure to the elements. It had been a few days since the pridelanders had left the sadistic rogue. They had come across only a few prides since then, none of which were larger than five lions. It seemed pointless to even ask such small groups, but they had too. Up until now however, their answers had all been the same; _no._

Now they were at yet another pride, this one a bit larger in size, but doubtful nonetheless. Amari wasn't rally paying attention while Mela explained their situation to the King. They seemed nice enough, but it was clear from the King's expression that he had no desire (or at least no capability) to help them. Amari was tired of these repetitive prides; it all seemed so redundant.

"We need your help," Mela pleaded having finished her summary. "Our pride is in danger."

The king sighed deeply and looked up at the sky with guilt.

Amari frowned. He knew what he would say, his hesitation said it all.

"I'm sorry." The king said quietly. "We can't help you."

The pridelanders nodded numbly. They had suspected as much.

"I wish that we could, but I simply cannot risk my family's safety on such a dangerous problem. We don't have enough that are even _capable_ of fighting, let alone holding off a gang of rogues. "I'm sorry."

"We understand." Mela replied, clearly disappointed by his answer.

"We can't help you, but you could certainly try to enlist the help of some of the nearby prides. If you keep heading south, you'll reach them in a day or so."

Mela's ears perked up. "Are they larger prides?"

He shrugged. "There are a lot of small prides each with their own leader, but they act more like a union of sorts. The members intermingle more than not, and there's a decent amount of rogues allowed in the lands as long as they don't cause much trouble."

Mela turned to her companion. "That sounds promising."

Amari nodded. "You said that they were only a few days south of here?"

"Yes;just outside our borders."

He turned back to Mela. "We should go if we want to get a good start."

"Please," the lion offered. "Stay here for the night; it's the least we could do for you."

Amari's first thought was pure relief and from the look on Mela's face, she felt the same. They had been sleeping on the road for almost a week now and it was starting to become tiresome to say the least. It was _extremely _tempting… but he knew what was at stake.

"Thank you," he replied politely. "But we should keep moving."

Mela shot him an icy glare, but didn't speak otherwise.

"We just don't have time to stay in one spot too long… I hope you understand."

The king nodded. "I suppose, but still I say that you two deserve a rest."

Mela shook her head. "In due time, I suppose."

He nodded. "Very well… We wish you well."

The duo bowed politely before turning away from the king and the pride. They didn't speak, or even look around until they were out of earshot.

Amari was quiet, feeling a little regretful for turning down the king's offer. It _was_ very tempting, but he was confident that they were doing the right thing. _Confident_, he thought to himself. That was a word that he wasn't used to describing himself with. Usually he was anything _but_ confident or anything even resembling assuredness. How strange.

"I hate you." A voice said from his side making him blink in surprise.

"Wait… what?" he asked Mela confusedly.

"I said I hate you." She repeated darkly, not lifting her eyes from the ground.

"How… Why?"

She looked up at him sharply. "You _know _why!"

He groaned. "Oh come on… you know that we have some serious time issues."

She frowned. "Still… a short break would have been nice. _You _were the one who's been complaining!"

"Yea… but that's what I _do_."

She was quiet for several moments as they walked along. It was still really hot and humid… _uncomfortably_ so. Amari kept looking forward nervously; he wasn't quite sure what was up with his friend, but it was creating a dreadfully awkward silence. _What did she want from him?_

Finally Mela broke the awkward silence with a heavy sigh. "Okay, _fine!_" she said exasperatedly. "You're right and I know it… We _do_ need to keep looking."

Amari smiled softly. "I don't blame you for wanting to sleep somewhere other than the road. It _is_ getting pretty old." To his surprise, she looked up at him with a smile of her own. _God, she was pretty!_ He thought to himself, trying to hide his nervousness without looking away.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I don't hate you or anything… I just _really_ wanted to stay the night there." She laughed slightly and returned her gaze to the ground.

Amari kept staring at her, a stupid grin plastered on his face. He loved to hear her shining laugh; it was refreshing in this time of relative melancholy. He liked her… _a lot; _at least that was what he kept telling himself. He was just too shy; he didn't have the _nerve_ to tell her how he felt… But what was the point of telling her anyways? It wasn't like she would return the affection; hell, she had just gotten through telling him that she _hated_ him! It was pointless; he wasn't even close to her league.

"Amari?"

He blinked back into reality and quickly realized that he had been staring. "W-what?"

Mela shook her head. "You were staring."

"Oh… I-uh… Nevermind." He stammered to himself. _He couldn't even talk to her! Forget league, she was out of his universe._

"You're a weird guy, Amari." She said in a near whisper.

"Yea… Heh." He tried to shake it off with a casual laugh, but her words stuck. _She thought he was weird?_ True, he had suspected as much but to _know_ what she thought was much worse than to _speculate_. At least then he had some hope that deep down she actually liked him back. But no, she thought he was _weird_! Sure he wasn't the 'coolest' lion or had the most stereotypical 'tough guy' personality, but _weird?_ It ate away at him for the rest of the day; he replayed the comment in his mind over and over again, inevitably making it worse by adding his own effects caused by an overactive imagination.

Amari was getting more and more depressed as time went on. He was far away from home on a difficult and stressful task, sore, tired, hungry, and now the girl he liked probably didn't even like him back!"

"So what exactly are we looking for again?" Mela asked after a while, giving Amari the relief he needed from his imagination.

He knew she was just trying to start a conversation to kill time, but it was a _far_ better alternate compared to dwelling in his own self-pity. "A hero." He replied simply.

Mela nodded. "Yea, but what do we _mean_ by hero?"

Amari frowned. He hadn't really thought about _what_ he was looking for in this lion. "I don't know… a _hero_. Isn't that explanatory enough?"

She shrugged. "Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, or so I've been told. Which kind do we want?"

"Uh…" It was a good question, what _were_ they looking for? "Well, he should probably be a good fighter… but not a sociopath like that one guy was."

"Kiota?"

"Yea. He wasn't the sort of _hero_ that we need. He should be smart-"

"You keep saying _he_." Mela interrupted. "How do you know that it won't be a _she?_"

Amari rolled his eyes and looked up at her. "Okay, okay… We'll look for lioness heroes as wel- AAAHHHH!" He screamed in midsentence as the ground collapsed under his paw. He hadn't paid enough attention to his surroundings and now he was paying the price. He winced his eyes shut and braced himself to wait out the fall like he always did. He knew he was heading towards a small drop-off of sorts, but he accepted it. He was going over the edge it and that was that. It wouldn't be that bad; flat ground was probably at most only a few feet lower, he could take the fall.

"AMARI!" Mela cried out in fear.

_Why was she so worried? _He fell on a daily basis and she never cared before, did this mean that she liked him? With a sudden burst of hope, he opened his eyes in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of her before he stopped falling.

He looked up, and was instantly surprised to see her surprisingly close… and afraid. Her wide eyes were bigger than he had ever seen them before and she was lunging out with her claws extended. _She looked like she was attacking!_

Amari only watched her with vague confusion as she lunged at him. _What was she doing? _It became suddenly clear when her claws dug deep into his forearm. Amari screamed in pain as he felt his flesh rip and tear as she pulled against his body.

_It was agonizing! _ Amari ran out of air in his lungs to scream, so he just cringed and tensed his whole body in an attempt to dull the pain. He writhed about in a vain attempt to break free from Mela's snag and fall the last few feet to the ground below. _Why was she doing this? He could have fallen the drop without a problem; why did she have to try and stop him from falling?_

"LET GO MELA!" he shouted as he tried again to rip her claws out of his arm. Blood was running down his forearm and up to his shoulder. It was a strange feeling that he had never really felt before; sickly warm and sticky while being rather sticky. _Blood._ It was nasty stuff. "LET ME FALL!"

Mela's eyes shot wide open and it became apparent to him how much she was struggling to keep him there at the edge of the dropoff. "NO!" she shouted with an intensity that matched his own. "LOOK DOWN, AMARI!"

Despite the pain that it would surely bring, Amari did indeed look down. His eyes widened slightly as he took in the view. _He was a bit higher than he thought he was_. Suddenly, the claws imbedded in his arm seemed preferable to falling off the edge off this massive _cliff!_ He stared, mesmerized by the dizzying drop down the sheer rock face that had not been quite as visible from the path.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" he screamed in terror rather than pain. "PULLMEUPPULLMEUPPULLMEUP!" He cried out in a blur of language as he clawed at the wall with his paws, only succeeding in digging out the soft soil.

Mela grimaced and gritted her teeth as she solidified her grip on the ground. With a deep grunt and a massive strain, she pulled.

To Amari's initial horror, _he didn't move_. But Mela kept pulling on his torn arm and he eventually began to rise. Relief flooded his body as he found a foothold among the loose stone and dirt. With all his might, the young lion kicked off the solid surface and gave Mela the final force she needed to get his torso over the ledge and onto solid ground.

She released her iron grip on his bloody arm and grabbed his shoulder as he pulled himself the last distance. Once he was on top of the cliff, Amari took only a single step before collapsing from exhaustion. Mela looked ready to do the same.

They were silent for several moments. Mela broke it. "You okay?"

Amari just looked at her with his dilated pupils. "No." he said in a small voice, clearly shaken up a bit. "I-I didn't think t-that it was that big of a fall… I-I t-thought it was only a f-few feet or so."

"Yea… it was more like _eighty_ feet, Amari." She replied. "Maybe next time you should _look_ before you lea- I mean _fall_."

"Yea." He squeaked out, his heart still beating a million miles a minute. "I'll k-keep that in mind next t-time."

"You could have _died_."

Amari nodded vigorously. _No kidding_! He had fallen plenty of times, but never like this before. Because he hadn't been paying attention, he had almost _willingly_ slipped off the edge of the sheer drop.

Slowly he rose to his feet, his body still trembling. Amari took a deep breath and stepped towards the cliff side with inevitable curiosity. _He had to see it again_. Mela looked nervous, but she let him go; she knew that he needed to see it again.

His eyes widened again as he looked out over the drop. The pale gray stone wall was sheer and vast; it stretched an incredibly far distance down to a stone floor dotted with boulders. It would not have been a fun fall, either. The drop was steep for sure, but not _completely_ vertical. He would have surely bounced off the wall several times before splattering on the stone below.

"Don't look down there…" Mela said softly, breaking him out of his trance. "Look up."

He obeyed and was instantly shocked. The view was tremendous from the ledge; the late afternoon sun fell on the lush savannah like liquid gold and dramatized the land with a distinct air of serenity and peace. A few flocks of birds flew in synchronism across the distance as they crossed the sky at a steady but unyielding pace. Herd animals dotted the hills and grasslands, centralizing at the water holes and grazing fields. _It was beautiful_.

"I almost _died_." He said softly. "I almost didn't see this."

Mela stepped up to stand beside him. She bent down and gently nudged him to his feet. "You're alive, and that's what matters. Let's not take that for granted again."

"Done." He replied with a slight chuckle; the trembling and trauma had worn off slightly. He turned to his friend and smiled. "Thank you, Mela… you saved my life."

She smiled back and eyed his arm. "I _would_ say that you are welcome, but… I _kinda_ shredded your arm."

He looked down at the arm that she had snagged with her nasty talons. The one that had allowed her to save him. It _was_ shredded. Deep puncture wounds were dug deep near his elbow, and it was clear where her claws had ripped farther up. It didn't hurt much and the blood had pretty much stopped flowing, but he knew that it would soon be quite painful.

"I hope this next pride has a shaman." He said dryly.

Mela nodded grimly. "Come on, let's go. We need to cover some ground if we want to find a shaman for you."

He agreed and they started off again. The progress was slowed a bit by his injury, but it couldn't be helped much. Mela found some familiar herbs along the way that she managed to prepare a painkiller with. It helped a little in junction with several bandages made of leaves and a crude splint made of a stick, but it was still just a little.

Maybe it was wishful thinking, but it seemed to Amari that Mela was acting friendlier to him. Maybe she felt bad that he almost died, (albeit it was _his_ fault.), or maybe it was something more… All he knew was that she argued with him less and laughed more. It was refreshing.

Before he knew it, it was dusk and they were preparing for yet another night on the road.

"Goodnight." He said quietly as he lowered himself to the ground gently. His wounded paw made it slightly more difficult, but not too terribly.

Mela smiled at him for a moment as if trying to find words. "You scared me today, Amari." She said plainly.

He blinked. "Sorry… I was stupid."

"No, you were _you_."

He laughed quietly and looked away. "I'm working on it… but thank you again for saving me. Maybe _you're _the hero that we're looking for."

This time it was her time to laugh. "Yea, I'm sure that I could fight off a gang of rogues with no problem. I'm tough!" She grinned and laid her head back down. "No, really Amari… I was scared today. I don't want to lose you; you're my friend."

It was a very touching gesture and Amari was speechless. "Thanks, Mela. I don't want to lose you either. I'll be more careful next time."

"I'm glad. Goodnight, Amari." She whispered before rolling over and closing her eyes.

Amari groaned inwardly and rolled over to face the other way. Now he was confused… she had said 'goodnight' so nicely! Was she just being nice? Or was it more? Did she still think he was weird? Or was she just _messing_ with him? Amari sighed irritably and shook his head. _Tomorrow._ He thought to himself. He would figure it all out tomorrow.

*****Author's Note*****

**Merry Christmas everyone!**

**Here's the fanfiction gift exchange: I give you a new chapter, and you give me lots of reviews! Sound good? Haha. Please comment, it makes my day. **

**-Ben**


	5. Chapter 5: The Idealist

*****Chapter 5*****

*****The Idealist*****

Amari woke the next morning earlier than usual. The sun was only just beginning to rise over the wilderness and Mela was still asleep not too far away. He groaned and stretched out, instantly being reminded of the gash in his arm. He slowly lifted the wounded limb to look at it more closely. It was better, that much he could say. Mela had done a good job in cleansing it and immobilizing it with the split. Cuts like that always healed faster when they weren't being constantly opened and closed.

With a sigh, he placed his arm back down and glanced over at his sleeping friend. He reviewed the events of the previous day… how she had saved his life… how he desperately wanted to know how she felt about him. He had to find out _today_, he told himself adamantly; he was sick of not knowing. As if she somehow subconsciously knew that he was thinking of her, she yawned and opened her eyes.

"Good morning." He greeted with a dry smile. He wasn't a morning person.

She blinked with surprise and rose to her feet. "You're awake." She observed. "Was your arm bothering you?"

He shrugged. "Not really; I just woke up."

"I hate it when that happens." She said as she stretched the sleep away from her bones. "And you can't go back to sleep no matter how hard you try."

"Yea… that's never fun." He said awkwardly as he looked at the ground. Any determination that he had while thinking of her before was gone. He was once again too scared to even _try_ to tell her how he felt. _What if she rejected him?_

"Are you all set?" Mela asked him quizzically. She seemed to notice his sudden nervousness, but she ignored it nonetheless.

"All set for what?"

"All set to leave."

Amari blinked. "Oh… yea. I guess we can start moving if you want to."

She yawned and rubbed some sleep from her eyes. "I really don't… but we should." With that, she stood up and started off in the direction that they had been traveling towards the day before. "Besides," she called over her shoulder as Amari caught up to her. "Walking will help wake me up."

Amari nodded in agreement, but didn't say anything. They walked along in silence for some time. He found it to be an unbearable awkward silence, but Mela seemed to be unfazed and even unaware of it. She seemed as normal as ever, though the silence was _killing_ Amari. She didn't even seem to notice the countless little glances that he stole at her; she was completely oblivious.

They didn't see any more dangerous drop-offs like the day before, but Amari kept looking just in case. He scanned the trail farther up ahead for any potential danger that they might encounter. He now knew the sheer scope of the potential danger out here, and he wasn't going to be fooled twice by the same trick.

The sun soon rose to be high in the African sky, and the duo stopped to eat. Mela managed to catch a handful of small rodents that they ate quickly. Amari wasn't too thrilled with the meal, but he didn't complain. They were in a hurry and they needed to eat; the taste of the food was the least of their worries. It wasn't even that bad, he decided; just a little strange was all.

In due time, they headed out again with a new bounce in their step, or as much of a bounce as Amari could manage with his arm all tied up. It was very annoying and a huge inconvenience to walking, but the pain wasn't bad at all. As long as he didn't strain the splint too much, he didn't even notice it.

The sun soon began to sink low in the sky, and Amari realized that they were likely nearing the next pride. The day was almost gone, and he hadn't yet told Mela what he wanted to tell her! He needed to act _soon_ if he was going to talk to her at all! Amari took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He mustered all of his courage, and looked over at the girl he so desperately liked. She looked back at him expectantly.

He froze.

"What?" she asked.

"What?" he answered awkwardly. "I mean, never mind."

She shrugged, and returned her gaze back to the trail. Amari looked down, completely disappointed with himself. _Why was he so timid?_ All he had to do was talk, and that was it! He tried to do it again. He inhaled and prepared to speak. He knew that as soon as the first word escaped his lips, it would all flow easily. But what if she didn't feel the same way about him? Doubt filled his mind as he opened his mouth. It was too much; as fast as he had opened it, he closed it with a snap. _He just couldn't do it!_ He didn't have the strength. He went back and forth for some time, trying in vain to muster his courage. Five minutes passed… then ten… then twenty… then an hour was gone. Amari cursed himself, but kept trying.

"Hey!" Mela said abruptly. "That looks like the pride down there!"

Amari looked to where she gestured and sure enough, a small rock formation signified the existence of the pride. It was a quaint little spot, nestled in a well protected area. The trees and foliage created a pocket of still air, unaffected by the savannah winds. From where they were standing, they could see several lionesses sunbathing on large flat rocks, clearly enjoying the afternoon heat. There were more than usual, perhaps they had some fighters to spare?

He knew that he should be glad that they had reached their next destination, but all the young lion felt was frustration. He had wanted to talk to Mela _before_ they reached the pride; once they were there, they wouldn't have any privacy. His time was gone, lost due to lack of strength. It was now or never; if he didn't say anything now, he doubted that he ever would.

"Come on." She told him casually. "Maybe they'll let us spend the night." To Amari's distress, she began walking.

"Wait!" he cried, instantly regretting the way he had said it.

She stopped and looked at him with confusion. "What?"

He was quiet for a moment, frozen with fear. _He had said the first word, now he needed to keep talking. _"Listen, Mela…" he started slowly, his heart pounding against his ribs. "There's something that I've been trying to tell you all day, but I just couldn't get myself to do it."

She looked at him patiently, neither rushing nor attempting to slow him. "What?"

He took another deep breath. _This was it! JUST SAY IT!_ "I really like you." He blurted. "A lot!"

Mela's eyes widened in shock. She had clearly _not_ been expecting this. She was silent for several moments, perpetuating the awkwardness. "What?"

"I like you." He repeated somewhat sheepishly.

"Wait…" she stuttered slowly. "You mean that you have a _crush_ on me?"

He groaned inwardly; she made it sound so _stupid_ by calling it a _crush_. "Yea… I guess if you want to call it that."

She nodded numbly and looked away. "Oh."

Cold sweat poured down Amari's face and fear gripped his throat. He struggled to breathe, but at the same time tried to act as normal as possible.

"Amari..." she began with a tinge of embarrassment. "I just… I'm sorry. I just don't feel the same way. And besides, we don't have the time for that right now; we need to stick to our mission and find help."

"Oh… yea." He said quietly as he dealt with being shot down.

Mela looked at him guiltily. "You're a really nice guy, Amari… just not what I'm looking for. But we're still friends right?"

He tried to smile, but it came out as just a neutral expression. "Y-yea. We're still friends."

She grinned. "Good. Now come on, we need to get down to that pride." She said it as casually as she could, but it was clear that she felt bad and just wanted to move on.

He nodded in agreement and started off beside her. The spring in his step was gone; now he just focused on the dull pain from the gash in his arm in a vain attempt to distract him from the despair in his heart. He _knew_ that this was going to happen… but he had to ask anyways. Now he was paying the price.

**(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

They walked into the pride's common area after a short walk. The awkward silence had perpetuated itself to a deathly quiet. This time, however, Mela felt it just as sharply as Amari did. It was apparent how badly she felt for making him so miserable, but what was she supposed to do? She couldn't _fake_ affection just to make him happy. No, it was better that he knew the truth.

Still, it was a hard blow for the young lion. He wasn't really listening as Mela began to speak with the local King, Tulon or something. He still responded, but he was numb on the inside. He smiled when someone made a small joke, he nodded when someone said something agreeable, but he was in a fog. Eventually the time came where Mela finally cut to the chase. She explained their situation in detail and with passion, but Amari had heard it all before.

The king opened his mouth to speak, and Amari forced himself to focus. This was all he really cared about; if this pride could help them, then they could return home!

"You ask a difficult favor of us." He responded slowly as he pondered the issue. "I cannot ask any of my own pride-mates to go, it is too far and too dangerous. I'm sorry."

Amari and Mela nodded with dull disappointment. Had they really expected more?

"However…" continued the king unexpectedly. "The surrounding lands contain several other prides, those of my cousins. We rule this land as joint, yet sovereign rulers where we live in harmony. Since we have each other to turn to if we were threatened, we allow many rogues and kingless lions to live among us. Perhaps one of them could help you?"

Mela smiled at this idea. "Do you have anyone in mind, Tulon?"

"Yes, and actually I was going to send you to him anyways. He is very good at treating wounds like the one on your arm." He said as he grimly pointed to Amari's splinted limb. "His name is Pandi, and he always seems to be looking for people in need of help. He's been living near here for some time now; one of our lionesses was feeling ill and he was helping her with the many things that she struggled with."

"Was she okay?" Mela asked worriedly.

Tulan chuckled. "Oh, yes, she's fine. Just a nasty infection she got from a gash that she didn't take care of. She's healing quite well."

"When can we meet him?" Amari asked eagerly. "Is he still here?"

The king nodded. "He's been out on the edge of our pride… something about the serenity of solitude, or… something." He rolled his eyes. "Anyways, just follow the stream past those trees and you'll come across his place in no time."

Amari thanked Tulan gratefully and started off in a hurry in the direction that he had gestured. It took a moment for Mela to catch up to him at the speed he was going.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked confusedly. "Why all the excitement?"

Amari glanced over at her. "Ah… you know. I've just got a good feeling about this guy."

She snorted. "If it's all the same to you, I won't get my hopes up."

"Alright by me." He replied, keeping his eyes forward. "Let's just find him."

In due time, the pair reached the stream that Tulon had mentioned and began to follow it in search of the hero. Amari allowed himself to get excited, even too much so. He knew that this was probably a fifty-fifty shot at actually getting help, but he placed all his mental energy into it. It was all he thought about, for fear of thinking about the only other thing in his mind. He knew that he couldn't tell Mela why he was _really_ getting so excited; she would feel terrible and he couldn't do that to her. But it was true; he was simply focusing on the task at hand for a mere distraction. It hurt too much to know that Mela didn't want him, so he simply ignored it.

_Besides,_ he told himself. _Finding a hero WAS more important than his own personal life. _Hell, _lives_ were at stake back home. Who was _he_ to complain about his own struggles?

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Mela asked worriedly. "You've been really quiet…"

"I'm fine." He replied concisely. "I just want to find him."

She sighed, but didn't press the issue further. She just walked along next to him in perplexed silence; she knew something was wrong.

"Hello there young ones!" a strangely polite voice called from afar.

The pair of young lions stopped sharply and turned to the unusual voice. Amari assumed that this was the 'hero' of whom Tulan had spoken of, but he was unsure. The lion looked so… _un -_hero like. His fur was disheveled and matted in certain places, seemingly by choice. Imbedded in his fur were bits of sticks and leaves that looked as though they would be very easy to remove, but left there due to some unknown reason. He was larger than most lions, but it didn't seem that he was a tremendously athletic individual; his muscles were not as toned or as significant as others of similar size.

"I said hello there, young ones!" he called again in the same semi-excited polite tone. The voice was still quite unusual; it fluctuated up and down with exaggerated pronunciations as if he was concerned that his audience would not be able to decipher his mood.

"Ummm… Hi." Amari said slowly as they approached the un-kept lion. As they neared, they noticed a pile of leaves that he was picking from a dying vine. He had quite a few of the dry and leathery leaves, but he continued to pick them nonetheless. "Are you Pandi?"

The lion nodded and smiled. "Indeed I am, my good sir. And who may I ask are _you_ two?"

Mela glanced at her friend. _Really?_ She seemed to say.

"My name is Amari, and this is Mela." He began with confidence. "King Tulon said that you might be able to help us."

"I might be able to, I help many lions." He replied while still stripping the vine of its leaves. "What seems to be the nature of your predicament?"

Mela stepped forward, quickly getting over her apparent distaste for the lion. "Our pride is sick, including our king, and we received some…" she stopped when she realized that he wasn't even looking at her. Pandi just kept peeling off the leaves and laying them in the pile with the others. "Ummm, are you listening?"

"Yes, yes of course." He replied without looking.

"What are you doing?"

"The leaves of the Fire Vine are very good as a clotting agent when the plant begins to die."

Amari blinked in surprise. "Doesn't the fire vine cause blisters when you touch the leaves?"

"Yes indeed, but only when the leaves are wet. When the plant dies and the leaves dry out, the oils are absorbed and become less dangerous."

Mela looked taken aback. "Oh… Okay then."

"Continue my dear." He replied with the continued formality. "Rest assured, I am listening."

She nodded, still a bit thrown off by his weirdness. "Yeah, so… There's this gang of rogues coming in a few weeks to take our land, and we are too weak to fight back. We need someone's help."

Pandi plucked that last of the leaves and scooped the pile into a more consolidated group before turning to face them. He looked at them for some time, deep in thought. "How far away is your pride?"

Amari did some quick calculations in his head. He knew how _long_ they had been traveling, but they weren't going in a straight line. Getting back home would be significantly quicker if they didn't have to stop. "A few days." He said after thinking about it.

"Well that isn't so far." Pandi said casually. "I do believe that I can help you all out."

Amari's heart nearly stopped and from the look on Mela's face, so did hers. "R-really?" she stammered incredulously.

"Certainly," he replied with a friendly smile. "I can leave tomorrow."

"_Really_?" Mela asked again. Amari was just quiet. _Sure he had hoped, but he hadn't really expected him to say yes!_

"Helping others is what I've done for my entire life. It is my _purpose_ in this life." He began to scoop up the pile of leaves, and Mela bent down to help him with the task. She glared at Amari as if to get him to do the same.

He sighed. _Fine, _he mouthed silently, satisfying her desire. He picked up his share and began following the other two.

"I'll get my things ready to go. There are a few things that I have back where I've been sleeping." Pandi said quite clearly despite the leaves in his mouth. "And you look like you might need some medical attention, young sir." He said as he eyed Amari's arm.

Mela nodded. "I treated him as best as I could, but I'm no expert."

"Well you did a decent job from what I can tell, but I have some special stuff that I think will help you heal even faster."

Amari didn't respond for fear of sounding stupid with all the leaves in his mouth, but smiled out of gratitude.

"How many lions are in your pride?" Pandi asked.

"Not too many." Replied Mela. She was also quite skilled at speaking with plants in her mouth thanks to the weeks of caring for the sick. "We recently went through a bit regime change, and a lot of us left."

"Well that's too bad." Pand said empathetically. "So you have a smaller sized pride at this time?"

"Yeshmff" Amari affirmed through the mouthful of leaves.

Mela stifled a giggle at his difficulty before interpreting his attempt at speech. "Yes."

Amari just rolled his eyes and focused on the ground below him. He didn't want to fall with their new savior watching. He stayed silent while they traveled; listening vaguely to the dialogue between his friend and Pandi. He sighed inwardly as he recalled what Mela had told him. _You're just not what I'm looking for, Amari._ It still stung his heart, and it was still depressing even with this new hero willing to help them. He shook his head forlornly at the whole thing; he knew that Mela didn't like him and that she probably never would.

Still, they had found Pandi. Maybe things were starting to look up.

*****Author's Note*****

**I had hoped that I would have been able to update more over Christmas break, but I guess I miscalculated. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope that you comment!**

**-Ben**


	6. Chapter 6: A Turn of Events

*****Chapter 6*****

*****A Turn of Events*****

"Is this where you have been living?" Mela asked as the trio entered into a small clearing in the savannah.

The grass was trampled in the surrounding area and the remnants of an antelope carcass lay farther off, partially hidden by a small bush. A heavily worn spot of dirt signified Pandi's sleeping arrangement. The clumps of dirt and surrounding bushes matched the debris in the rogue's fur. Scattered plants and roots lay about the ground in groups based on vague similarities, but not much else. It struck Amari as a bit revolting; but then again, it _was_ sort of an improvised home. He couldn't blame the lion for being a bit disorganized.

"Yes, indeed. Just for the last couple of weeks though."

"You travel a lot?" Mela asked, eying the carcass with distaste.

"It is how I make my living in this world."

"And what exactly _do_ you do?" Amari asked slowly. "Tulon mentioned that you were helping one of his lionesses with an infected cut or something?"

Pandi nodded. "You are a bit correct my dear. Some fancy me something of a shaman for the surrounding prides, and I suppose I fit the description well." He wandered over to a small flat rock and laid the vine leaves down on the ground next to it. Amari and Mela did the same with their own mouthfuls. "After all, most of what I do _is_ helping with medical problems. Herbs, poultices, and bandages. Speaking of which, why don't you come over here, Amari."

The young lion nodded in compliance and approached Pandi as the rouge looked over a large assortment of items.

"What are you planning on doing with my arm?" he asked unsurely. Mela's treatment had been quite effective, even if it was a bit uncomfortable. He was a bit wary of trading his current fix for a new one of unknown quality.

Pandi just smiled. "Don't you worry, young sir! I have quite the skills, knowledge, _and _the materials to fix you up properly. Now place your paw up here and hold still."

Amari obeyed reluctantly, but eyed Mela with nervousness.

With a comforting smile, she walked up next to him. "_Relax"._ She whispered silently so only he could hear.

Her words calmed him slightly, but it was still a bit nerve racking for him to watch the so-called shaman browse through his collection of sharp sticks and other tools. He examined gourds half-filled with various liquids and multi colored plants, dried to a leathery texture.

"Don't worry," he assured the nervous lion. "Most of this stuff is for much more serious wounds than yours. I'm just looking fo- Ah! Here it is." He proclaimed as he snatched up a small and dull stick from the pile of items. "Now hold still."

Amari nodded slowly as Pandi bent down to his wrapped arm. With the careful precision, the rogue gently slid the smooth and dull stick under the leaves that Mela had stuck to his arm. He kept expecting to experience a sudden twinge of pain from the stick touching his wound too sharply, but it never came. Pandi was quite skilled and his movements were steady.

"There it is." He said to himself as he carefully peeled the leaves back with a stable claw. The wound he revealed was better than it had been before, but it was still quite ugly. Dried blood was mixed with Mela's painkiller paste in a strange yellowish-red mixture that looked nauseatingly like pus. Amari knew that it wasn't, (in fact the wound looked very healthy) but he still felt a bit uneasy nevertheless.

The first thing that Pandi did was wash the wound. He used a very soft and wet moss to moisten the dried residue and allow it to rub off with as little irritation to the already sealed gash. In no time, his fur was its usual tan color and the lines of the wound were plainly visible to them all.

"Well that isn't so bad." Pandi remarked as he reached for a small gourd and the clear liquid inside. He poured it over Amari's injury slowly, making sure that it got full coverage. "This will help the flesh heal faster." He explained softly as he applied a fresh set of leaves to the slightly sticky substance. They stuck well, and a soft moss cushioned his arm from the splint that was applied next.

"That should do it quite nicely, my good sir." Pandi declared as he stepped back.

Amari eyed the job carefully as he set his wounded limb down on the ground. To his surprise, it felt quite a bit better than before. Mela had done a good job, but her work had been itchy and irritating. Pandi's felt much more comfortable and for lack of a better word, _professional_. It seemed to almost be a part of his leg and hardly hindered his movement at all. The split immobilized only the wounded part of his arm and left his elbow and wrist alone to move freely.

"Wow." he said in slight amazement. "This feels great!"

Pandi smiled at the remark as he began to remove the old dressings from the area. He tossed them off into some nearby bushes before turning back to the Pridelanders. "Yes, well. Plenty of practice."

Mela stepped forward and examined the work closely. "I'll bet. So you _are _a shaman?"

The rogue's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, I forgot. Continuing what we were saying from before, many in the area consider me to be a shaman of sorts."

"But you don't?" Amari guessed, looking up from his arm.

Pandi shrugged. "I consider myself many things, and I suppose that _shaman_ fits as well as some other words."

Mela stole a glance at Amari unsurely before pressing Pandi deeper. "What _other_ words would you use to describe yourself?"

"I choose not to limit myself to the verbal language. True description can only be _felt_." Pandi stared up into the sky for several moments in silence.

"Ummm… okay." Amari responded slowly.

"I'm just a lone lion who is just trying to make this world a better place."

"Soooo…" Mela asked further. "What _else_ do you do?"

"Mostly medical aid, but occasionally more. A few months ago I helped to find a missing cub, before that I guided some lost travelers through some treacherous terrain."

"So you just help people?"

"I help those that need it."

Mela nodded approvingly. Pandi may have been a bit weird, but his adamant determination to _help_ was enough for her. "Well you're very brave for offering to fight for us."

Pandi blinked in mild confusion. "Who said anything about _fighting? _I won't fight anyone."

Amari felt his gut drop in dread. "What are you talking about? That's why we asked for your help. What do you mean you won't fight?"

Pandi chuckled slightly to himself as he began to organize his belongings. "Oh dear, perhaps we have had something of a misunderstanding. I am a _pacifist_."

"_What?" _both Pridelanders exclaimed in unison. "You mean you won't fight _ever?_"

Pandi shook his head. "Violence is the essence of evil, young ones. To use it would only perpetuate it deeper into this world."

"But you said you would help us!" Mela cried.

"And help you I will!" He retorted adamantly. "I will treat your pride to the best of my abilities and perhaps they will be more comfortable while they are sick."

Amari was livid. "The _sickness_ isn't our concern! There's a gang of rogues that are coming to force us out of our lands!" He shook his head in irritation. "And I assure you, they will do it VIOLENTLY!"

"Then I shall reason with them." Pandi replied stubbornly.

"To what ends?" By now, Amari was pacing back and forth with anger. "Do you really think that you can just _convince_ them to leave when we're defenseless and they have so much to gain from our loss?"

"Violence is not the answer."

Amari stared at Pandi for a long moment of silence. "So you would _never_ fight?"

"Never."

"Even if you were attacked?"

"No."

He growled irritably. "I don't _get_ it! You can't just _not_ fight!"

Pandi seemed to be enjoying Amari's frustration quite deeply, because he began to smirk. "This world is _full_ of killers and fighters. There aren't enough pacifists."

"Yea, because everyone would get _killed_ the minute that one of the Killers and fighters decided that they didn't like them!"

"Amari." Mela said quietly, placing a paw on his shoulder.

Her stare calmed him slightly, but not completely. With a growl, he pulled away and began to pace around the clearing. _What kind of fool refused to fight? It was a natural part of life that they all had to deal with!_

Mela was equally distraught over this new revelation, but she controlled herself well. "I don't understand. How can you just _ignore _the fact that violence surrounds us?"

"It doesn't surround _me."_ Pandi replied simply.

"What about food? That antelope was killed pretty violently!"

"I didn't kill it; I don't kill anything. One of Tulon's lionesses caught it for me."

Mela was getting frustrated. "It was killed by _somebody!_ You're still part of it!"

Pandi shifted his weight uncomfortably. "That's different."

"No it isn't; you're still the cause of it!"

"Listen you two," the rogue began with a heavy sigh. "I can't help it if you were raised by parents who thought that it was _good_ to fight, but I assure you that it is _wrong_."

Amari was speechless at his sheer arrogance. _Who was he to judge his parents? _Hell, his mother had been a complete worry wart when she was still around. Always warning him not to do anything dangerous and to stick with his good friends. She had always _forbade _fighting, even _play_ fighting! Now Pandi was accusing _her_ of raining him poorly?

"I think that there's a difference between mindless violence and self defense!" Amari declared strongly. "I'm not going to sit idly by while my friends and family die in the wilderness just because nobody could stand up to a bunch of THUGS!" His anger surprised even himself. Normally he just went off by himself when he was frustrated, but this was different. He was _furious _with this lion for his deception. He had led them on with false hope when it was _clear _that they were looking for a fighter.

"Look, Pandi." Mela said quietly. "We don't need a shaman; we already have one. What we need is someone who can protect the sick from the gang that wants to kill them. Is that really so _wrong?_ We just want help."

Pandi shrugged. "There are no exceptions for the rule. _All _violence is wrong."

She sighed irritably; it was clear that they were getting nowhere with him. "Well thank you anyways… but we should keep looking." With that, she turned towards Amari who was still pacing angrily. "Come on, we should go."

He nodded, and reluctantly followed her back the way they had come. "Thanks for the treatment." He said over his shoulder. It wasn't as if he felt that he really even deserved it, but he owed the shaman that much at least.

"You're welcome Amari." He replied calmly. "I hope that you will someday understand what I am saying."

"Come _on!_" Mela insisted, physically grabbing his good arm and pulling him forward and out of the clearing.

Amari nodded with annoyance, but didn't say a word. Mela seemed to sense his distaste, and subsequently kept her silence for a while. However, she eventually had to speak her mind.

"Don't let him get to you, Amari."

The young lion growled. "I know, I _know!_ It's just! He's so-"

"I know, it doesn't make sense and _I agree_." She said in an attempt to calm him. "But we can't do anything about that. He is who he is, and it isn't our job to change him."

"I guess…" He started thinking; _Pandi had probably never had to protect himself. He didn't know what it was like to risk losing everything!_ "I hope he gets attacked." He said darkly.

Mela blinked in surprise at his sudden animosity. "Amari!" she exclaimed. "That's a horrible thing to wish for!"

"It would serve him right, and maybe even teach him a lesson."

She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak. "I know that you don-"

She never finished her sentence, she was cut off. "BOO!" a dark form cried as it burst from the brush. Amari yelped in shock while Mela squealed in fear. The creature lunged at them aggressively, and Amari felt his heart nearly stop. He winced his eyes shut for fear of the incoming attack, but it never came. Instead, a deep laughter rumbled out from the beast's throat.

"Did I _scare_ you?"

Amari looked up from his fearful cringe to see a lion, moderate in size, but nasty looking all the same. He was a dark tan color with narrow shoulders. On his face he wore a toothy and intimidating grin.

"W-who are you?" Mela stuttered from the shock. "Why did you scare us?"

"I was just having a little _fun_ is all." The lion replied with a sneer. "As for my name, that's none of your business."

_"Jerk."_ Amari muttered under his breath, causing the instigator's eyes to narrow.

"Quiet, you. I could have _really_ attacked you for trespassing, but I didn't; I have a _different _target today. You should be grateful."

"_Grateful?"_ Mela cried. "We weren't trespassing; we have permission from King Tulon!"

The lion only smiled at her rage. "Yes, yes, I tremble at the mention of the _mighty_ Tulon."

"Why are you here?" Amari said daringly.

He eyed Amari's well dressed arm with some interest. "I'm looking for someone… and perhaps you two can help me."

"Forget it." Mela said stubbornly. "Come on, Amari, let's go."

Before they could take a step, the intruder cut them off. "Then how about a deal." He said sinisterly. "I'll let you two walk free, providing that you tell me if _he _is in the area."

Mela blinked in confusion. "Who? Pandi?"

He grinned mischievously. "I'll take that as a yes. Thank you very much, and have a great day." With that, he ran off towards Pandi's temporary camp, quickly disappearing into the brush.

The two Pridelanders stared at each other in mild shock. Mela quickly realized her mistake.

"_Mela_!" Amari groaned. "Why did you _say_ that?"

"I didn't mean to make it that obvious!" She cried. "It just _happened!_"

He shook his head despairingly. "What do you think he wanted with Pandi?"

"I think it was pretty clear that he wanted to fight."

"But Pandi won't fight…" Amari thought aloud. "He'll be _killed!_"

Mela's eyes widened. "We need to go tell Tulon."

"There's no time! By the time we get back, he'll be dead and that _jerk_ will be long gone!"

Mela looked dumbfounded. "So what do we do?"

Amari thought as fast as he could, but he didn't see what they could do; there just wasn't enough _time_! "Uh… Ummm…" He looked around frantically as if the answer was hidden in the landscape. "You go get Tulon, and I'll try to stop them from fighting!" he blurted. "If you can get Tulon here fast enough, we can stop anything bad from happening."

Mela looked surprised. "You can't _fight_ him, Amari!" she exclaimed. "You'll get yourself killed!" She shook her head with confusion. "Wait, a minute, weren't you _just_ saying how you wanted him to get attacked? Why are you willing to risk your life for him now?"

Amari blinked in surprise, he had completely forgotten his previous anger towards the rogue shaman. It had all been lost in the threat of the nasty lion. "I don't know…" He replied slowly. "I guess I didn't really mean it. Besides, he helped _me,_ I owe him at least this much."

"You can't fight that _creep_!"

"I won't, I'll just stall him for as long as I can while you get Tulon! Now stop arguing and just _go_; we're losing time!"

Mela swore bitterly. "FINE!" she shouted angrily before her expression softened, her eyes expressing her deep concern. "Just be careful."

Amari just smiled. "_Hurry."_

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

He raced through the vaguely familiar brush with purpose. Thanks to Pandi's expert care, he could run without any hindrance from his bandaged arm. He went as fast as he could, giving special attention to the ground in order to avoid obstacles. He dealt with them as they came; ducking under vines or leaping over logs. His focus was intensified with purpose, aiding him greatly in the short run.

As he neared Pandi's camp, the sounds of angry lions made their way to his ears. He could hear arguing and loud shouts, but little more. He burst from the foliage to see a surprised pair of lions staring back at him. Pandi looked quite frightened with a fresh cut on his cheek, while the aggressor looked just mildly amused.

"YOU!" They both shouted simultaneously.

A dead silence fell over the three lions due to the unexpected arrival of Amari. It was broken by Pandi.

"What are you doing here, Amari?" he demanded. "You need to go!"

The unnamed assailant laughed aloud, making Pandi flinch. "He's probably here in some _delusion_ that he's going to somehow protect you, Pandi."

"Leave him alone!" Amari said as strongly as he could, though the presence of the violent lion was more than enough to make him wish that he was elsewhere. His black eyes seemed to penetrate deep into his soul, making him small and weak before this task.

"Amari, you need to leave NOW!" Pandi said again with increased intensity.

The dark-tan lion shook his head irritably. "I'm going to ignore you for the moment." He told Amari with a grin before turning back to Pandi. "And I'll ask again, where did that leopard go?"

Pand stood a little straighter. "I told you before, I will not tell you. He came to me for help, and I helped him. I will not betray his location to you simply because you were _offended_ by his actions."

A deep growl rumbled through the attacker's throat. "He passed through our lands without _permission!_ He _WILL _be punished, and you _WILL_ tell me where he went!"

"No."

Amari watched in horror as the tan lion roared in fury and lunged out at Pandi. The shaman just closed his eyes and braced for the impact. The two connected with a dull thud and went rolling across the ground littered with various plants and tools. Pandi grunted in pain as he struck the ground with his assailant pressing down onto his chest.

"STOP!" Amari cried, making the lion look up at him with an evil grin.

"What? You want me to stop _this_?" As if to antagonize the younger lion, he unsheathed his claws, and dug them into the flesh of the poor shaman. Though Amari was much more concerned with the rogue's safety, he couldn't help but notice that Pandi stayed true to what he preached. He didn't struggle at all against the violence; he only clenched his paws into tight balls in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain. He truly was a Pacifist.

"LET HIM GO!"

The lion paused to consider it for a short, if sarcastic, moment. "Um… _No_. I don't think that I will." He tensed his claws even more as Pandi squirmed under him. "Now _tell_ me, Pandi." He hissed dangerously, his eyes just _daring_ Pandi to refuse.

Amari was frozen at the sight of the events before him. He had come here to try to _stop_ a fight from happening, but this crazy jerk simply didn't _care_! How could get him to stop hurting Pandi if the lion was simply _ignoring_ him?

He looked frantically back to the trail, hoping desperately to see Mela with Tulon following close behind, but they weren't there. He knew that they would be a few minutes still, even they were sprinting. For now, it was clear that he was on his own with the two older lions… _and he had no idea what to do._

He looked back to the cruel attacker to see that Pandi was still refusing to speak despite the increased pressure that the tan lion was applying. The shaman was already having difficulty breathing, and Amari knew that it was only a matter of time before the violence became too much for the poor rogue to remain conscious.

"GET OFF; YOU'RE HURTING HIM!" He shouted again.

"Ayep." He replied with a cruel grin. "That's the idea."

Amari wasn't usually a very angry person, but this day had been a bad one. First Mela had ignored his profession of love, then another king had refused to help, then the one lion who _would _help, turned out to be a useless pacifist. _Now this_. He wasn't normally a very angry lion, but this display of sheer and complete disregard for basic humanity and respect; it just pushed him over the edge. A fire was lit, and he could feel the _burn_.

With as loud of a roar as he could muster (which turned out to be quite loud) Amari threw himself at the cruel lion. A look of surprise crossed his face as the younger lion smashed into his side, knocking him from atop of Pandi. He had clearly not expected him to _do_ anything about the apparent injustice.

The two of them went sprawling across the ground, knocking over various piles of herbs and tools that would surely be difficult to replace, but it didn't matter now. Amari was furious, and this bastard was going to _pay_. He rose to his feet and faced the attacker as quickly as he could, not even noticing the pain that was coming from his treated arm.

Likewise, his opponent rose from the ground as well, the expression of pure hatred on his face. "You shouldn't have _done that_..." he began sinisterly as he started to circle Amari slowly. "I _was_ going to leave you alone, but this changes things a little bit."

Amari's felt a small twinge of fear from deep within his gut at the thought that he had made a mistake. He quickly recovered from his momentary regret as his anger resurfaced. This lion was undoubtedly a dangerous creature and Amari was definitely going to lose, but he didn't care. This wasn't about winning; it was about buying time and making the jerk pay for his cruelty. If he could occupy enough time, then Tulon and Mela would be able to intervene. _He hoped_.

Instead of waiting to be attacked, Amari decided to draw first blood, or at least _try_ to. He lunged out with a growl at the older lion and began a barrage of awkward swings and slashes of his claws. Amari had never really been in a fight before, and really didn't know what he was doing. Nevertheless, he struck out at the lion with all his might. His aggressiveness must have surprised the assailant, because he landed the first few, drawing shallow lines in his shoulder.

The minor wound didn't even make him blink. Instead, he only grinned and threw Amari off of him, sending the younger lion stumbling backwards. Before he could even regain his balance, the attacker was upon him. He tried to lean out of the way, but the first blow caught him square in the jaw while another caught him in the gut a moment later. Amari fell to the ground, the wind knocked violently and painfully from his lungs. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the attacker over him, ready to rip his throat out. But instead, he was farther away and sitting; patiently waiting for him to rise.

"You're pathetic." He sneered. _"Get up_."

Amari didn't need another suggestion; he shook off the pain and climbed back to his feet with anger in his eyes, he wasn't done just yet.

The other lion smiled at his resilience. Then rushed him again. Amari's eyes widened as a paw rushed towards him with its claws unsheathed; he tried to dodge, but he was too slow. He screamed in pain as a shallow cut was ripped horizontally across his face. He tried to fight back, but he just couldn't keep up with his faster opponent. He threw out a strike every so often, but never hit anything. Instead, he only received a variety of small cuts, gashes, and other injuries on the rest of his body. It wasn't anything too serious, (even if it was painful); it was clear that the tan lion was enjoying himself.

A solid blow took out his good leg, and Amari fell to the ground again. This time he wasn't sure if he could get up; his body ached all over from his attacker's blows and the many cuts on his torso stung from dirt and sweat. He was tired, and demoralized. His rage was diminishing though he fought to keep it going. He _wanted_ to be angry; it gave him strength. But he just couldn't.

"Get up." Came the nasty voice again. "Get up or I'll kill you now."

"Leave him alone!" a ragged voice called from not too far away. Amari recognized it as Pandi; he was still lying on the ground where he had fallen.

"Shut up, Pandi. I'll be right back with you in a moment." He turned back to Amari with a casual smile. "I was hoping that you would be a little more fun, but I guess your time is at an end if you can't even _stand_."

Amari's heart filled with dread at the statement. He struggled to get to his feet, but his legs wouldn't support him, the blow to his leg was apparently worse than he had thought. They collapsed from exhaustion and injury, landing him back down to the ground with a dull and painful thud. His anger was gone. Now only sheer despair filled him.

A shadow fell over him. _Was this really how he was going to die? At the hands of this unnamed assailant? _Suddenly it all seemed so pointless; he was giving his life (albeit begrudgingly) for life of a lion that he had only just met. Hell, Pandi would probably still die if Tulon didn't show up in time. Then again, maybe he wouldn't show up at _all_. After all, he had already declined to help them once today, why would he help Pandi?

His thoughts turned to Mela. How she didn't like him in the way that he did. It seemed rather trivial now, but Amari couldn't blame her. She had said that he simply wasn't _"Wasn't what she was looking for."_ She could have anyone she wanted; she was smart enough, strong enough, and definitely had a good enough heart. She deserved better than him, and he just hoped that she would find someone that could be the one she was looking for.

He analyzed the ground; it would probably be the last thing he would see. The shadow of the cruel lion darkened the ground. He had failed. Simba, Nala, and everyone else had put faith in him and he had blown it just like he always did. He cursed himself for thinking that he would somehow be more successful out in the wilderness than he was at Priderock. All he could hope for was for someone to come to the rescue; maybe Mela would find someone before it was too late.

He blinked with a mix of surprise and confusion; the shadow was gone. The ground shone with the brilliant radiance of the sun, something that he had doubted ever seeing again. In his near-delusional state due to pain and exhaustion, he vaguely became aware of voices. With all his strength, he lifted his head, only to see a pair of dark eyes gazing deeply into his with fear and concern.

_"Mela."_ He whispered with relief.

"Hold on Amari, We're gonna get you out of here!"

She managed to help him to his feet, and after a few awkward struggles the lioness managed to heave him onto her back as she would with a hunted animal. He didn't mind, it was more comfortable than being dragged. She carried him swiftly through the foliage, following a larger lion whom Amari assumed to be Tulon. It was nice to know that there were still _some_ who would go out of their way to help a stranger.

*****Author's Note*****

**This chapter took me quite a long time to write, and now that I look at its length, I'm not really surprised. Thank you for reading, and I hope that you comment (I was a little disappointed with the number of reviews last chapter, but I am not complaining). My time here is nearing its end, and I hope that this story will keep your interest long enough to finish it.**

**-Ben**


	7. Chapter 7: The Journey Continues

*****Chapter 7*****

*****The Journey Continues*****

The cave was dimly lit, a much appreciated feature for the resting lion. Light irritated him greatly in his present condition; the cool darkness helped him sleep. A narrow beam of light shone through a crack in the ceiling, illuminating the various dust particles that hung in the air like a gaseous gold filament. As the minutes passed and the sun made its way across the sky, the beam of light slowly advanced towards his muzzle. He didn't notice of course, he was sleeping. Still, the light moved closer and closer, eventually making its way to the tip of his nose and brightening his golden fur. He still didn't wake, and the light continued to travel on its path. Soon enough, it made its way over the resting lion's eye, waking him sharply.

He winced from the sheer brightness of the sun through the small crack, and tried to roll over in an attempt to avoid the bright ray, but only bumped into the lioness that was lying next to him. She grumbled a in a low tone.

"Ugh… I'll _kill_ you if you do that again."

Simba grinned despite his discomfort. "I love you too Nala."

She opened one eye, and glared at him, clearly not in the forgiving mood. "Are we healthy yet?"

Simba was about to answer, but a catch in his throat made him jerk his head back violently as a nasty hack ripped through his throat, launching a small amount of flem through the air.

Nala watched his display of sickness with vague interest; she was pretty used to it by now. "I'll take that as a _no_."

The king frowned and rolled over onto his back in a vain attempt to make his breathing easier. "I assume that _you_ aren't feeling any better either?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. You know that there's still a few weeks left before we're supposed to even show _signs_ of recovering."

He sighed deeply. "Well I was just hoping."

"I know." She replied. "I'm getting pretty sick of it myself."

A blue blur landed in front of them, sharply startling them. "I hope that you had no desire for a _pun_ in that phrase, madam."

Simba chuckled. "Good morning Zazu, and what's wrong with a good pun?"

The hornbill frowned. "I simply find them to be _distasteful_ is all. Crude and immature humor at best."

"Go spend some time with Timon and Pumba!" Simba said with a grin. "They'll teach you the meaning of _crude _humor."

Nala smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, Zazu, there was no pun intended."

"Thank you your highness." He replied, completely ignoring Simba's other comment. "I came for the purpose of updating you both on the status of the kingdom."

The king groaned. "Yes, I guess we should talk about that. Go ahead."

"More have fallen ill, with only a few recovering enough to help care for them."

"Who has gotten sick now?" Nala asked, clearly worried about the answer.

"Luma, Daka, Ervan, and Leara." Zazu listed. "But Kraila is recovered enough to start helping."

"I hope that you didn't press her too forcefully to switch her role."

"Oh no, Sire!" She's been trying to help for days; this was the first time that we decided to allow her to work."

Simba nodded slowly. "I trust that Kiara is still fine?"

"Of course. Haila is doing a fantastic job caring for her."

"What about the rogues?"

"You mean the _gang_ sire?"

"Yes. Have there been any more sightings?"

The majordomo sighed. "The herds have not seen any strange lions in several days, but there have been signs. Tracks, matted grass, claw marks; I think that they're still around."

"But still at the border?"

"Yes. For a bunch of thugs, they seem to be holding true to their word quite well."

Nala lowered her gaze. "If they kept their promise to let us leave, they'll likely keep their other promises as well."

"We still have a few weeks left before they attack." Simba reminded her.

"Still, time is running out." She turned back to Zazu. "Has there been any word from Amari and Mela?"

"I'm sorry, but no." the bird replied sullenly.

SImba stared off blankly at the cave wall. "I'm starting to think more and more that we might need them."

"But what if they don't find anyone?" Nala asked worriedly. "How can we _survive_ if-"

"Don't you be a worryin' so much your highness!" Rafiki exclaimed, as he burst from the shadows. Zazu nearly fainted while Simba just laughed, inevitably fallying into a deep hacking fit.

"Good morning Rafiki." He greeted when he finished his coughing. "Please tell me that you have something for my head, it feels like its splitting open."

The mandrill nodded and pulled a bundle of herbs from his side and began to prepare them for the king. "Don't lose da faith in de young ones." He continued. "De prophecy does not lie."

"But it _can_ be misinterpreted." Simba retorted.

"Dis is true, but I tink it is quite clear. A hero will come, and he will save de pride."

Nala nodded, but didn't look too convinced. "Let's hope. For all our sakes."

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Far away, in a different kingdom entirely, a different lion was just waking up. He opened his eyes slowly and tried to roll to his side. He groaned as the stiffness in his joints became apparent; it wasn't really that painful, just awkward. He felt as if he had been asleep for a month.

"You're awake!" a jubilant voice called out to him.

"W-what?" he stammered incoherently as he tried to rise from his bed.

"Don't get up, Amari. You'll fall."

His vision was blurry, but he could just barely make out the image of the lioness above him. "Mela?" he asked confusedly.

"Yes, it's me." she said with a slight chuckle. "How are you feeling?"

He thought about it as he looked around; his eyesight clearing. His jaw was sore, his muscles tired, his limbs bruised, arm still wounded, ribs tender, and he had a splitting headache. He was also alive. "Fine." He replied shortly. "How long was I out?"

"Only a few hours. We're back at Tulon's place."

He nodded, having just reached that conclusion himself. The somewhat familiar place was more deserted than before, but still pretty homely. The thick trees that protected them reminded him slightly of Priderock. It wasn't a rock structure, but the dense woods served the same purpose. He guessed that the lionesses must be out hunting or something. Who knew what lionesses did on their free time anyways? He looked back to Mela. "That didn't really go as well as I wanted it to…"

"I kind of assumed that. Pandi told us what happened."

Amari blinked. _He had completely forgotten about Pandi._ "Is he alright?" the young lion asked worriedly as he frantically tried to rise from the ground.

"Relax!" Mela cried, pushing him back down. "He's _fine!_ And in way better shape than you are."

Amari laid his head back down on the pile of leaves that had been gathered for him. "Oh." He said simply.

After a moment of silence, Mela spoke again. "He actually left a while ago… something about going to warn someone. He wanted me to thank you for him."

The young lion nodded, but didn't say anything. He felt like he should feel pride or some sort of _superiority_ for doing what he did, but he didn't. The fact was that he had gotten his dignity shredded yet again, and nearly died in the process. Sure he had helped Pandi, but not very well; it was a mediocre job at best.

"He was very grateful." She added, seemingly hopeful for some response.

He smiled, more for her than out of any real satisfaction. The two shared a slightly awkward silence for a moment or two; Mela could clearly see that he was uncomfortable but didn't have a clue what to do about it. "Who was that guy anyways?" he asked finally.

She opened her mouth, but was cut off by a deep and strong voice. "His name was Urak, and he was after Pandi for information."

Amari nodded a greeting to King Tulon and the lion smiled back.

"I hope that you are feeling better Amari, you took quite a beating."

He shrugged. "I'll manage. Tell me more about that lion… Urak?"

"Yes." Tulon continued. "I told you before that the prides in this area are all led by my cousins, and you just happened to run into a close follower of my _least _favorite cousin. Quite honestly, you're lucky to be alive."

Mela frowned. "Who's the cousin?"

"King Farole." He sighed exasperatedly. "Over the years, he has become much more… _forceful_. I have tried to be patient with my cousin, but he has made it all very difficult; always disputing borders, demanding tribute from foreigners, and being an overall _jerk_."

Amari chuckled. To call a fellow king a jerk wasn't very regal, but he understood Tulon's frustration. "So that was one of his _tribute _collectors?"

The king scowled irritably. "Something like that. Urak is Farole's best fighter and pretty much his bounty hunter. He has others, but Urak takes a lot of pleasure in being the muscle."

"The only reason that I'm not dead is because he was having _fun_." Amari spat before his expression softened. "I never thanked you for saving me."

"None needed." Tulon said softly. "It was common kindness."

"Well it saved _me_."

"What are you going to do about Farole?" Mela asked worriedly. "Are you just going to let him be?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot do much more than remind him of our agreement to keep the area in peace. Anything more than that is out of the question. He's far more prepared for a fight than me or any of my other cousins. He would jump to war without hesitation."

"Sounds like a good family." Amari replied sarcastically.

Mela shot him a harsh glance. "We've been dealing with some family issues ourselves back home."

Tulon nodded. "My sympathies, I know that it's not easy." He looked around for a moment, as if searching for something more to discuss. "Where will you go from here?"

"We'll leave now." Amari said adamantly as he tried to rise.

"NO!" Mela growled as she pushed him back to the pile of leaves. "There is _no_ way that you are ready to leave just yet."

"She's right, Amari." Tulon agreed. "I insist that you stay here for at least tonight. Tomorrow you can leave if you think that you'll be able to, but not before then. Take some time to rest."

Amari groaned, but obliged, laying his body back down onto the ground. "Fine."

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

The night passed uneventfully; Amari spent the time just sleeping and resting, though he would have much preferred to be doing other things. Mela managed to help one of Tulon's hunting party's and helped to bring in the nights meal. The food was invigorating for the beaten lion; it filled him up to a heightened state of mind. Now tha the thought about it, he hadn't eaten anything in over a _day_. That alone was enough to diminish his energy, let alone a fight that left him unconscious.

He slept on and off, waking every now and then. Mela was sleeping nearby, and he inevitably ended up spending long amounts of time watching her. Thinking of her. She didn't like him, and he was coming to terms with that. He didn't blame her, nor did he blame himself; it was just something that could not be even though he wanted it so desperately. But she was his friend, and a good one at that; she had saved his life on more than one occasion, and cared for him when he was hurt. Friendship was better than nothing, and he was grateful to have her as such.

The morning came in due time, and Amari rose to examine himself. His limbs were still stiff as could be, but the pain was gone. The bruises were faded and the many little nicks and cuts had scabbed over. His head was fine as well; the headache gone and the mark on his cheek healing. He would have a few scars to be sure, but overall he was fine. Even his wounded arm from days before was looking better. He guessed that he would be able to remove Pandi's bandages in only a few more days.

Mela and Tulon were busy talking about which way they sould go while Amari was stretching. He walked around the perimeter of the pride taking exaggerated steps. He hadn't wanted to do it, but Mela and Tulon had insisted. In all honesty though, it felt pretty good. Every step that he took allowed him to move a little farther, each one made his movements a little more normal. After a few circles around the area, he was starting to feel a little looser and more able-bodied.

"Hey!" a voice called from the perimeter.

Amari turned to see an older lioness watching him from the tree line. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

She chuckled at his facial expression. "Come here, kid." She said, gesturing with her claw.

Amari approached her slowly, wary of some trick or trap. As he neared the lioness, her age became more and more apparent. Her fur was likely at one point a light tan, but now it was a dull gray and a bit rough on the edges. Her claws were worn and dull and her eyes were surrounded by lines.

"Relax, honey." She told him as she laid down under a nearby tree. "I know you're a bit edgy but _look_ at me. I ain't gonna fight you."

"What do you want?"

She shrugged. I heard about your scuffle with Urak, and how you really got whooped."

Amari frowned; he didn't like how quickly word had spread. "So?"

She grinned at his irritation. "_So,_ I figured that you probably didn't really know what you were doing."

"You mean that I don't know how to fight?"

"That's what it sounded like. So do you?"

Amari kept frowning. "I always thought that it was pretty straight forward. My claws go into _his_ body."

The lioness laughed aloud, a raspy noise to say the least. "I _guess_ that pretty much sums it up, but it won't help you much if you meet up with Urak again. Combat is an art, a study, and a lifestyle all in one. It's more complicated that you might think.

Amari stared incredulously at this old and grizzled lioness. "And I suppose that _you_ know _all_ about fighting."

To his surprise, she nodded. "I'm old now, but I was a pretty tough girl in my day. Fought in a few border wars, trained a few young-uns, you know."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want you to know a little bit more than you do now."

"Like what?"

She rose to her feet with delicacy for such an old lioness and walked closer towards Amari. "Stand like me." She told him as she widened her stance. She bent down slightly, but not too far, keeping her head tucked low.

He did as she did, mimicking the stance. It felt a little strange, but not that weird; hecould get used to it. "Is this how I start?"

"Yes," she replied. "But take less weight off your front legs. You want them to be able to move faster."

He lightened the load on his front paws and waited for her to continue.

"Now when you strike, be conscious of where you hit 'em." She continued, raising her paw to demonstrate. "Head shots disorientate, body shot's slow 'em down, and shots to the arms and legs just _hurt_. Got it?"

Amari nodded. "So you just keep going until they collapse?"

"You keep going until they expose their throat. I know it sounds morbid, but you gotta end it somehow."

Amari nodded. He didn't like the idea of killing another lion, but that was all part of fighting. "How do I stop them from doing the same to me?"

"Glad you asked." She replied. "From what I've seen, keeping them on the defense is one of the best ways to protect yourself. If you're so aggressive that they can't throw a strike, then you won't have to defend against one."

"So I just have to go psycho on them and I'll win?"

"It helps in most situations, but sometimes not. "If they manage to avoid your attack, you gotta be able to avoid _theirs. _Just keep your cool and deal with them as they come. The best way that I've seen to block, is to hit their attacks with your own."

"What?"

When they swing out at you, _you_ swing out at their paw. That way, you'll knock their paw away and maybe even hurt 'em a bit."

Amari nodded. "Okay, I think that I get it."

"AMARI!" Mela called suddenly from afar. "We're all set!"

The young lion turned to the older lioness. "I've got to go, but thanks."

She smiled. "Glad to help. Passing on knowledge is all I do now."

Amari nodded in appreciation, and turned away. The old lioness had said a lot, and his head was spinning slightly from the sheer amount of information. He felt as though he should have spent a few _days_ on the material rather than just a few minutes. Nevertheless, he was better off having at least _some _exposure to it. It was way better than what he had known before.

"Ready to go?" Mela asked as he approached.

"Yep, I'm feeling good. Which way?"

Mela looked up at the sun. "The same way that we went to find Pandi. There's another pride farther down the stream."

After a quick goodbye to Tulon and the rest of the pride, the two Pridelanders set off again. It was getting little redundant, but that was the nature of their mission. Pride to Pride in search of this elusive hero. Amari was starting to wonder if a hero even _existed_ out here. He understood what Rafiki had said before they left about it being difficult to stick to morals in the wilderness. He had almost _died_ because he had tried to do the right thing, it was _far_ safer to be immoral than it was to be a hero. Still, he was feeling better. He had come to terms with Mela's rejection as well as to the difficulty of their journey. He had a spring in his step that Mela seemed to notice quite quickly.

"What's up with you, Amari?" she asked after a long while of silence. "You seem a bit more enthusiastic than normal."

He shrugged. "I don't know… thing's are just looking up, I guess."

She stared at him incredulously. "You nearly _died_ yesterday, and you think that things are looking _up?_"

He laughed at her shock. "Well think about it, Mela. Things can't _possibly_ get worse than they already have been. Yea, we've got some serious time constraints and need to find someone that might not even _exist_, but can you really imagine things getting as bad as they _have_ been? I think that we've gotten past the worst of it all."

She frowned. "I hope that you're right… but things are never so bad that they can't get worse."

A grin split his face. "I guess that we'll just have to wait and see."

*****Author's Note*****

**Not much to say again. Thanks again for reading, and I hope that you comment!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**-Ben**


	8. Chapter 8: Temptation

*****Chapter 8*****

*****Temptation*****

Travel is an interesting thing. It starts off fun and is kept entertaining by the new and unseen places. Every new step is an adventure and each new experience breeds desire for more exploration. However, the thrill of travel slowly dissipates as the new and exciting places begin to blend together and all start to look the same. Everything is different, but it's all different in the same way; it becomes boring. Amari was getting bored.

He tried to occupy is mind with various games and entertainment of his own creation, but it was still dull to say the least. He and Mela had already discussed everything that they could think of to discuss; they were both out of conversation starters.

To be fair though, Amari wasn't trying to entertain himself for the sole purpose of fighting boredom. He was also trying not to dwell on the time. They had hardly more than two weeks before their two months were up. The rogues would return to claim the Pridelands and they would surely succeed without anyone to help the poor lions. If they didn't find someone soon…

"Amari?" Mela's voice snapped him out of his brooding.

He looked up at her soft expression. "Yea?"

"Are you okay?"

He blinked in confusion. "Ummm, yea. What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "I don't know… you've just been really quiet for the last couple of days."

"Not much to say I guess."

Mela nodded, but wasn't convinced. "That's never stopped you before."

_Why couldn't she just say what she was trying to?_ "What do you mean?"

Mela looked around uncomfortably, as if she was unsure how to place her thoughts into words. "You got beat up pretty bad the other day… and you still aren't really healed. There's _no_ way that you aren't feeling it anymore."

Amari chuckled softly to himself. "You want to know why I'm not _complaining?"_

"I guess if you want to put it that way."

The young lion thought about it for a moment; she raised an interesting point. He _was_ in a bit of pain, and it _was_ bothering him. _Simply put_, he decided, _it just didn't matter anymore._ A few scratches, a gash or two, the constant walking, it was all part of the journey. Besides, Mela was already overly concerned about him; complaining would only worry her more (and likely annoy her as well.) he thought with amusement. No, he could take the temporary discomfort for the both the sake of the mission and for Mela.

"No, I'm fine." He lied. "Actually, I was going to take off the bandages on my arm tonight."

She stared at him for a long moment of silence as they walked along in the midday heat. "Something's bothering you Amari, that much I can tell."

_Well, she was right about that_. He paused for a moment as he tried to think of what to say, but his silence told all.

"Is it about Urak?" she asked him quietly. "Do you want to talk about the fight?"

"No, that's not it." He replied, though it _was_ constantly at the back of his mind. The sheer helplessness and sense of failure that he had experienced had been branded into his mind. It would not be an experience that he would soon forget. Still, it wasn't what was _really_ bothering him. "I've just been thinking…"

"About?"

"About what we're doing." He continued with a heavy sigh. "We have less than three weeks left."

She nodded slowly; clearly this issue had been on her mind as well. "Don't worry, we'll find someone soon."

"What if we don't?"

"We _will!"_ she insisted adamantly. "There _has _to be someone who can help us. The world isn't _that_ indifferent."

Amari shook his head. "Maybe the wilderness is… like Rafiki said, it's every lion for himself out here."

"That doesn't mean that there _isn't_ a hero, it just means that he will be a _better _one."

Amari was silent again for a few more moments. "Let's hope that you're right."

**(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

They reached the next pride in due time, thankfully before the sun set. There were less lions than were in Tulon's pride, but still a few nonetheless. By now the two Pridelanders had gotten used to the strange looks and quizzical stares from the native inhabitants, but this pride topped them all. Some looked at them with distaste and even borderline _hate_, others with fear and timidity. Still others even had a mix of intrigue and desire on their faces. The orange glow from the setting sun radiated off of their faces in a sinister light. Amari didn't like it. He tried to keep his eyes forward and ignore the strange stares as they made their way to the king, but he couldn't help but take notice to some of the more unusual ones. He could have sworn that one lioness even _winked_ at him with a seductive grin. He didn't really know what to make of the strange display of… _whatever_ it was, so he just ignored it. He didn't have time to worry about it now.

The more they traveled through the pride, the more uneasy they became. Groups of disheveled and grimy lions hung out in vague clusters around old meat and rotting carcasses, sending sketchy glances in the direction of the Pridelanders. Occasionally one muttered something and drew a sinister chuckle from his nearby cronies. Each group stuck to themselves, growling dangerously whenever someone from another cluster approached. From what Amari could tell, this was more like a loose coalition of dirty lions than an actual pride.

Amari tried to be optimistic as they finally reached the overhang where the king was located, but one look at the supposedly regal lion was enough to make his hopes drop. The older lion was small and bony to say the least, with a matted and messy mane that had a few patches with no fur at all. He greeted them with vague politeness and listened while Amari and Mela explained their situation, but it was clear that he had no intention of helping them.

They finished their story in a matter of minutes, and waited for a response. The king only stared off at a boulder not too far away without response. The pair of younger lions exchanged confused glances after a moment of silence.

"So…can you help us?" Amari asked slowly.

The skinny lion blinked out of his trance. "Oh, um… what?"

Amari scowled. "I asked if you could _help_ us."

"Oh…" he replied with a bored expression. "No, I don't think so. Now isn't very convenient for us."

Amari was speechless, and noticed that Mela shared a similar feeling when he stole a glance at her. Rejection was something that they had gotten used to and almost _expected_, but never before had they seen such a ridiculous display of sheer indifference. No explanation for the refusal, it was just _inconvenient!_ Amari felt his anger boil up inside him and struggled to keep his cool.

"I suppose you can spend the night if you must," the king continued. "But you need to leave by morning. We don't have enough food to share."

It was difficult, but Amari managed to keep his voice steady. "Thank you… for your hospitality."

"Yes, yes. Now please leave." He started to turn away from the shocked pair, but turned back with an afterthought. "Oh, and try not to disturb my pride while you find a place to sleep. Most of them have work to do."

Mela nodded slowly as the king walked away. "_Come on_," she whispered to her friend. "Let's go."

Amari watched for a few moments as the small and insensitive lion walked away towards a fresh antelope carcass. With a snort of irritation, he turned to follow Mela back towards the rest of the pride. "Can you _believe _him?" he asked as he caught up with her. "He didn't even _care!_"

"Shhh!" she hushed him. "Not so loud. I doubt that that jerk would hesitate for a _moment_ before throwing us out of here."

Amari sighed from aggravation. "Yea, I guess you're right. Where are we going to sleep?"

Mela was silent for a moment as she scanned the area. Most of the good sleeping spots under trees or next to rocks were already taken by the sketchy clusters of lions. The only remotely decent place to bed was off under a scraggly and dying tree near the edge of the pride's apparent social area.

"I guess we don't really have much of a choice." She said exasperatedly as she started towards the spot.

Amari frowned. "At least it's farther away from _them_." He said quietly, gesturing back to the native lions. "I don't mind the space."

"Yea, but its more in the wind… it'll get cold tonight."

He shrugged in agreement. She was right; just by walking over towards this unhealthy tree he could feel the breeze pick up and a chill shuddered down his spine. "I think that we're tough enough to take it." He said, successfully drawing a grin from her face.

"I _hate_ the cold." She replied grimly. "Give me a heat wave over a cold breeze _any _day."

Amari scratched at the dry dirt with a claw. It was hard as a rock. "Well at least it's _comfy_."

She ignored his sarcasm and looked around at the darkening landscape. The sun had just set, but the sky still held a light pink tone which contrasted sharply with the obscure ground. "I'm gonna go find that stream we saw earlier." She said absentmindedly. "Before it gets to dark…"

Amari laid himself down on the cold dirt and began to pick at his peeling bandages. "I'll stay here and save our spot I guess."

Mela grinned at him as she walked away. "No fighting while I'm gone!"

He smiled, but didn't respond. Instead he returned his attention to his bandages. Pandi had done a good job, but the wrapping was beginning to come off. The special leaves that he had used were becoming dry and crumbling as he moved. He supposed that it was time to remove them; from what he could tell the wounds had healed. Most hadn't even been that bad, just painful and irritating. He pulled at one of the stems on his arm gently. It fell of easily, revealing a solid scar line below it. This had been the wound he was concerned about; the one that Mela had caused when she had caught him from falling off the cliff. As he tested his weight on the limb as well of the range of motion of the flesh, he became more and more pleased. His arm was nearly completely healed; though some of the skin was a little tender, there was no pain in moving it around. As he removed his other bandages on other various injuries (mostly from Urak), he found that they had healed up as well. Some of them had even disappeared all together.

"Hey there." A voice came from not too far away, startling the Pridelander.

He looked up sharply, only to see a dull-furred lioness standing near a bush. He wasn't sure, but she looked like the same one that had been giving him strange looks when they had first entered the pride. "Umm… hey." He replied unsurely.

She smiled at his hesitation. "My name's Shalla… I saw you come in earlier."

He nodded slowly, wary of some sort of trick. "I'm Amari, and yea. We're just passing through."

"You look like you got a little beat up."

He frowned. "It was a fight… a few days ago."

"Ooooh," she purred, taking a step closer. "A _fighter_."

"What? No." he stammered. "I didn't want to fight."

Shalla grinned , showing her dazzlingly white teeth. "Well, either way, I'd hate to see what the _other_ guy looked like after you were through with him."

Amari was speechless. _What was this lioness doing?_ She took another step towards him, hardly a foot from his face. He could smell her fur, her scent. _She was vey pretty_, he decided quickly.

"You want to come over to _my_ cave for the night?"She whispered seductively. "I'm looking for a little _fun."_

Amari blinked. It was clear what she was implying, but it still shocked him deeply. "W-what?"

She giggled at is awkwardness and brushed past him. "Oh come on, tough guy… you know what I mean."

Amari was frozen at the prospect of this opportunity. He had never _been_ with a lioness like that before… and he _was_ single as Mela had made abundantly clear. Really, what harm was there in going with her for the night? He had been through enough in the past few weeks, he _deserved_ something fun. Also, this lioness was _stunning_; the more he looked at her, the more he _wanted_ her.

His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Shalla took his expression to mean _yes_. "Follow me." she purred softly.

Amari took a few steps forward and froze. He suddenly felt indescribably horrible. _It was wrong. _He couldn't quite logically figure out _what_ was so wrong with it… but it was just _wrong_. He didn't even _know_ her…

He looked up and realized that Shalla was looking at him expectantly. "What?" she asked him. "You coming?"

He frowned; his enthusiasm for the _fun_ was dissipating quickly. Sure, Mela didn't like him… but _he_ liked _her_. It felt wrong to be with someone else… like he was betraying someone. He thought it over, maybe that _someone_ was himself… Did he really want to be that kind of lion? The kind that hooked up with whoever he could, wherever he felt like it?

"Well?" she asked again, a note of irritation in her voice.

"I-I can't." he said finally.

Now it was her turn to frown. "What do you _mean, _you _can't_."

"I just… _can't_. It would be wrong."

"Oh come on, Amari..." she said with a seductive smile. "You're little girlfriend won't know."

He almost laughed. "Oh no, we aren't together."

Shalla looked confused. "Then what's the problem?"

"I'm with… someone _else_." He lied.

"She won't know."

Now Amari was beginning to get frustrated. "No." he insisted adamantly.

She rolled her eyes with irritation. "_Fine!_ You're almost as bad as that one _pretty_-boy from a few days ago."

She started to turn away, but that last line caught Amari's attention. "Wait, who are you talking about?"

She glared at him. "Just a self righteous _jerk_ who thought he was too good for us. Landa, Leaner, or something like that. I'm sure that you two would get along."

"Yea… maybe." He replied absentmindedly.

"Well I'm leaving." She continued haughtily. "Don't come looking for _me _if you get bored."

Amari watched her leave, vaguely amused by her anger. Once she was gone, he laid back down under the weak tree. He felt good about what he had done; sure he had thrown away a shot at a good time, but his dignity was intact. He wasn't going to throw away his self worth just for some _fun_.

As he lay there, he noticed that many of the cliques of native lions were staring at him, almost angrily. He ignored them.

"I'm back." A familiar voice sounded from behind the tree.

"Did you find the stream?" he asked.

"Yea," Mela replied. "And I grabbed some reeds for bedding."

Amari rose from the cold and dusty ground while his friend spread the plants across the dirt. It probably wouldn't help much, he figured, but it was still something.

"Anything happen while I was gone?" she asked. "Any fights?"

Amari looked away. "No… nothing happened."

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

The night turned out to be even colder than they had feared, a steady wind came from the west causing the pair of Pridelanders shiver from the cold. Amari didn't mind it _that_ much, though it certainly wasn't enjoyable. For Mela, on the other hand, it was seemingly torture; she was able to sleep, but not well.

Amari looked up at the starry sky, unable to sleep. It wasn't the cold, he just had a lot on his mind tonight. Finding a hero, saving Priderock, fighting, loving Mela, and keeping his morals… it was just a lot to contemplate.

A strong gust of wind caused the lioness next to him to shiver sharply. In her sleep, she leaned up against him. Amari's eyes widened at the touch of her soft fur. _She was right there!_ True, she was only cuddling with him due to the harsh weather, but it was still cuddling. He felt like he should pull away since he knew that she didn't want to be with him… but he just couldn't. Partially because it felt nice to know that he was helping _her _for a change, and partially because she seemed to prefer it to being out in the cold on her own.

He was tempted to get even closer to her, maybe even to put a paw around her… but no. That was too far; Amari refused to take advantage of the situation. Sure he could rationalize it all he wanted, it would make her warmer, she wouldn't notice, all sorts of things, but still. He would know, and that was punishment enough. Her trust was too valuable for him to knowingly betray it. He knew that he would do anything for her… _even if she wouldn't do the same for him_.

Amari blinked; _maybe it was more than just a simple crush_… Was he in _love?_ God he hoped not. Rejection from a crush was normal, but from someone who you truly _love_ was something completely different. He had known old lions who had spent their entire lives alone, simply because the lioness that they loved didn't love them back. Was he doomed to be that lion? Would he be forced to watch helplessly as the lioness that he loved found a mate? Found a _better _lion than himself? (who was not too difficult to find) He felt a pit of dread form in the bottom of his stomach at the disturbing thought. _Was he destined to be the loser that he had always been?_

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Morning came without conflict; Amari woke first and started to loosen his limbs. The absence of his body caused Mela to wake soon after. The wind had died down and the morning sun warmed their fur pleasantly. After a short trip to the stream and a quick look around (in vain) for food, they set off. Most of the native pride was still asleep, a strange thing for a group that was apparently short on food, but the two Pridelanders decided to leave anyways. They doubted that any of the lions there had any desire to say goodbye, so they just avoided the whole situation all together. They just left, and headed back out into the wilderness once again.

Soon, however, the duo grew hungry and hunting became an inevitable task. After some quick searching, they came across a small herd of wildebeest on a nearby hillside. Mela was the more experienced hunter, so she crept towards the herd ahead of Amari. The young lion mimicked her movements as best he could, and was surprised at how well he was able to do. The grass seemed to move under _him_, rather than he moving over _it_. It was a good feeling… one of accomplishment.

Mela stopped at the edge of the longer grass. The herd was only twenty yards away, and only trampled grass remained in between them and the animals. "_Ready?" _she mouthed silently to him.

Amari nodded; he knew the plan. He would go right, while Mela went left. Hopefully between the two of them they would manage to catch some food.

In a flash of movement, Mela was gone, and Amari threw himself from his hiding place with as much force as he could. It all happened so fast, in one thrilling blur of action. They were running after the fleeing wildebeest, a cloud of dust and dirt flying through the air. He lost sight of Mela as she disappeared into the cloud of chaos and ran alongside the herd. He searched the herd for signs of his friend and what animal she had chosen as their meal. He couldn't see anything, he was getting tired, and the herd was getting away. _There was no sign of Mela._ Fear began to grip his heart as he started to fear the worst.

"MELA!" he shouted as loudly as he could. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

Only the dull roar of stampeding hooves came to his ears. Suddenly, out of the cloud of dust, a lone wildebeest tumbled from the rest of the herd. Atop its back was a familiar lioness. Relief flooded through Amari's body as he ran through the savannah to catch up to them.

By the time he reached her, she had already taken the animal down and was lying beside it, her breath heavy.

"Wow." He managed to say through gasps of air. "Nice catch!"

She nodded, but didn't smile. "I think I hurt my paw."

Amari groaned inwardly. _Not another injury! _"How badly?" he asked as he walked over to her.

She shrugged and raised the injured paw. "I don't know… its not bleeding or anything, it just hurts to walk on."

"Sprain?"

"Maybe."

Amari looked at it for a moment longer before turning away. "Sorry… I should have helped more."

To his surprise, Mela laughed. "Don't be like that, Amari. This wasn't your fault. It just _happens_."

He didn't answer.

"We got food." She reminded him in a vain attempt to change his attitude.

Amari suddenly became aware of another's presence. "You mean _we_ have food."

He whirled around to face a group of sketchy looking lions. The closest one to him stared at him with a vague look of amusement on his face.

"Surprise."

Amari growled. "What are you talking about? This was _our _kill!"

The lion took a step closer, his cronies chuckling amongst themselves in the back. "I guess you're kinda new here, but that doesn't excuse your actions. You killed this animal on _our _lands, and that means that it's _our _kill."

"Wait a minute!" Mela cried without getting up. "You're from that pride that we just left, I recognize you all."

He looked at her boredly. "What's your point?"

"My point is that this isn't your territory! I remember someone telling me that your boundaries stop at that wood line back there!"

The apparent leader's expression soured instantly. "Then maybe you're familiar with the _law of the jungle_."

Amari glared at him. "And that would be?"

"We're bigger than you, and there are more of us. That means that we can take whatever we want from you. Just be glad that we don't want your _lives_."

This comment infuriated Amari; he was _sick_ of being treated like he was insignificant. He tried to keep his cool; "Look, my friend got pretty hurt from catching this thing. We don't have the time or energy to catch a new one. Please just let this go."

His attempt at reasoning was met with a barrage of laughter. "No, I don't think so buddy." The leader replied, taking another step towards him. "Now get lost."

Out of the corner of his eye, Amari watched Mela tried to rise and fall back to the ground. Maybe her leg wasn't hurt that badly in the long run, but it was debilitating for now. He wouldn't be able to make another kill without her, and who knew if they could make it to the next pride without a meal. Besides, she had earned it! Who were these jerks to take her kill away from her?

"No." he said strongly.

"Amari, don't!" Mela cried out worriedly from behind him.

"You can't have it." He insisted

The group's leader lowered his gaze so that he was only an inch from Amari's face. "_Wrong answer_." He whispered.

In a flash, the lion's paw came up, narrowly missing Amari's face. The young lion took a step back, dodging another strike. He remembered back to that old lioness from Tulon's pride. _Aggressiveness_. He sunk deep into the stance that she had showed him, and roared as he lunged out. The aggressor's eyes widened in surprise at Amari's sudden attack and stumbled backwards.

With his momentum established, Amari struck out again and again to the different targets that he had been shown. _Head, gut, limbs!_ The leader tried to block them, but there were just too many and the accumulating damage kept his head down. With a final burst of energy, Amari brought his paw up under the leader's body and ripped upwards across his chest with a dangerous growl.

The lion yelped in pain and fell backwards at the feet of his comrades. They looked at him warily as blood began to flow from the deep wound.

At first, Amari thought that they would run away out of fear, but the look on their faces quickly changed his mind. _Now they were mad._

"Kill the punk!" the bloody lion hissed from the floor.

Amari took a step backwards as the rest of the group began to widen out around him. He had taken out that _one_ guy, but now he had four more to deal with all at _once_. He swore as he realized the predicament.

A deafening roar made them all cringe from the sheer volume of the noise. Amari didn't even have time to look for the speaker before a massive shape appeared between him and the hunters. IT released another massive roar, making the lions quake in fear.

It was only a matter of moments before they had gathered up their wounded leader and were fleeing away as fast as they could. Amari released the breath that he realized he had been holding and looked to his unexpected savior.

The large lion turned to face the two Pridelanders. "Are you two alright?" he asked worriedly.

Amari was stunned into silence. This creature was _flawless_; his coat shone with a brilliant golden hue and his pitch black mane contrasted with the sky. His face seemed to be cut out of stone and his eyes were stars from the sky. Aside from his aesthetic perfection, the lion was _huge!_ His claws were well kept and his muscles toned. Amari thanked the kings that he was friendly.

"Uh… yea." He said after a moment. "But my friend hurt her paw."

He nodded understandingly as he approached her. "It doesn't look too bad. I'll take you to a friendly pride."

She looked up at him with amazed eyes. "Who _are_ you?" she asked quietly.

He shot her a winning grin. "I'm Leander, miss. And I'm here to help."

*****Author's Note*****

**A few days late, I know… but I think this is a great chapter. As fortune would have it, it's -14 degrees here in Siberia (not really, but it sure feels like it this time of year) and school was cancelled. Because of that, I was able to finally finish this unusually long (and I think good) chapter.**

**Anyways, I hope you liked it, and I REALLY hope that you comment!**

**-Ben**


	9. Chapter 9: The Hero

*****Chapter 9*****

*****The Hero*****

"I'm Leander, miss." The great lion said with a winning smile. "And I'm here to help."

Mela was speechless as she stared at his massive form. She nodded slowly in shocked response to his charismatic attitude.

Amari was still dumbfounded by the sheer awesomeness the lion before him. It was as if he was straight out of one of the legends he had been told as a cub. "Thanks." He managed to say after a moment of silence. "I really thought that I was in trouble back there."

Leander shrugged. "I don't know, it looked like you were handling yourself pretty well before I showed up."

"Still, thanks."

"What are you doing out here?" he asked them quizzically. "Not many lions travel along this land."

"We were going towards the next pride." Mela explained. "Those guys that attacked us were from the last one we were at."

"I know the one." He replied with a smirk as he helped Mela to her feet. "A bit of a weird group of lions, if you ask me."

"We noticed." She replied bitterly. She carefully put some weight on her injured paw and winced from the pain.

"How bad does it hurt?" Amari asked with concern.

"Bad enough for me to get sick of walking before I even _start_."

Amari turned to Leander. "We were heading west, is there a pride in that direction?"

"There is, but I wouldn't recommend going there." He answered darkly. "Nasty king with some even nastier followers."

"Are they really _that_ bad?" Mela asked hopelessly. "If they're closer, I really wouldn't mind an attitude or some name calling."

He shook his head. "King Farole is a bit worse than just a _name-caller._"

The name sounded familiar. "I know that name…" Amari said slowly.

Mela nodded. "He's the king that Tulon warned us about. The one that sent Urak after Pandi."

Leander's eyes widened slightly. "You've met Urak?"

Amari lowered his gaze. "Yea… he nearly killed me."

"You're lucky to be alive. Not that I doubt your ability, but Urak is a _very_ good fighter. Even _I _would have a little trouble with him."

"Tulon said that they've been really aggressive lately."

"That's an understatement." He said with a chuckle. "Since Farole became king, he's been actively transforming his pride into a military state. Lots of rogues recruited to fight, lots of heavy punishments for small crimes. Most think that he's planning on attacking some of the nearby prides and taking their land, but he hasn't admitted to anything yet."

Mela chuckled slightly despite her paw. "I'm sure that all the lionesses in his pride just _love_ the turn towards war."

"Actually, most of them left. Farole doesn't have a Queen, and that's one thing that he has been searching for a lot recently."

"No one will be his mate?" she asked incredulously. "I mean sure I wouldn't want to marry him either, but usually there are _some_ lionesses who would just _die_ to be a Queen."

"Many would, but not _his_ Queen." Leander explained. "Farole has had fits of rage in the past that have left some _casualties_. No one wants to risk their _life _just to be royalty."

Amari nodded in understanding; after all, status couldn't replace one's life. "So if we can't go there, where _can_ we go?"

"If we head north we'll come to a small pride with a friendly king. It isn't a large pride, but I'm sure they will be able to give you shelter."

"How long should it take?"

"A little less than a day, I think."

Amari turned to Mela. "Do you think you can handle that?"

She frowned. "I don't think that I have much of a choice, let's just go." She grimaced as she stepped down on her paw, but didn't make a sound as she started off towards the north. Amari smiled at her strength and started after her.

"I didn't catch your names." Leander remarked after a few moments.

"I'm Amari, she's Mela."

"Do you two travel alone like this often?"

"Just for the past month or so." Mela told him. "It's complicated."

"I see."

Amari just couldn't take his eyes off of Leander. The lion was everything that he was looking for in a hero. _He was simply perfect!_ It was so perfect, that he was afraid to ask for help in the way that he had asked so many before. What if he said no like all the rest?

Mela shot him a distinct look without catching their hero's attention. It was clear that she was thinking the same thing.

"What would you have done if those guys hadn't run away?" Amari asked, fearful that it might have been merely a show and that they had another pacifist on their hands.

"I would have fought them." Leander replied simply. "I don't tolerate violent intimidation like they were trying to do to you, and they know that."

"You _knew_ them?" Mela asked with surprise.

"No, but they knew me. I've developed something of a reputation over the past several years. The good lions know they can trust and rely on me, and the bad ones know to fear me."

"You're a vigilante?" Amari asked confusedly. It was an occupation that he had never seen before.

"No. I simply help those who need it and stop fights before they get out of hand. Lately it seems that I've been doing too much of the latter."

"You're a _hero!_" Mela blurted with the look of pure amazement on her face.

"I suppose if you want to call me that." Leander said modestly. "It wouldn't be the first time."

The two Pridelanders shared a look of pure bliss. "This might come off as a little weird," Amari began hesitantly. "But we've been looking for someone to help our pride."

The lion's eyes lit up. "Help in what way?"

"Everyone's gotten really sick, including our king, and there's a gang of rogues that are coming to try to force us out of our home. The sickness isn't deadly, just debilitating; but without a strong lion like our king we'll certainly lose and die out in the wilderness."

He nodded slowly. "How big is your pride? How far away?"

"It's bigger than most of the prides around here, and it's probably around a half-week to a full week away. The gang is supposed to return in two weeks, so we need to go home soon."

Mela looked up at him with wide eyes. "Please… we need help."

Leander looked at the two of them for a moment with stoic eyes. "I've fought all sorts of creatures before… rabid rodents, stampeding rhinos, and even groups of filthy rogues. I think that I can handle your _gang_."

Amari's stomach was in a knot. _Was that a yes?_

"Yes," he continued, his head held high under the sapphire sky. "I _will_ help you."

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

The Pridelanders walked on behind their newly found hero; ecstatic with their apparent luck. _They had done it!_ They had found the elusive hero that was spoken about in Rafiki's Prophecy! It was too good to be true.

Mela did the best she could with her injured paw, but she eventually had to accept help from her two companions, though she did so very begrudgingly. Amari couldn't help but notice, however, how she didn't seem to mind leaning up against Leander. In fact, she seemed to almost _enjoy_ it!  
The more he watched the two of them, the more he started to see a pattern. She asked him a lot of questions, (as did he as well,) but hers were different. She asked about his family, his childhood, and his entire life in general… things that she didn't need to know.

They traversed a great distance in a short while despite Mela's injury. They crossed the dry savannah and through a lush forest. The biggest challenge that they faced was a small river on the edge of the forest. After a short while of searching, they discovered a fallen log that made it possible to cross. Amari and Leander crossed easily enough, but Mela needed coaching. Amari offered to help, but she declined. She wanted Leander's help instead.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

"Do you have a mate, Leander?" Mela asked shyly.

They were under a large acacia tree and the sun was beginning to set. They were likely less than an hour from their destination, but Mela needed a rest. She wasn't winded, but her paw was in a lot of pain.

Amari was only a few yards away when she asked the question, and it chilled his bones. _A MATE?_

The hero smiled from where he lay. "No, I don't. Saving pretty lionesses like yourself doesn't leave much time for me to settle down."

Mela blushed and giggled coyly.

Amari was glad that neither of them were looking at him, because the look on his face matched his thoughts perfectly. _Horror._ It was clear from how they talked to each other… she liked him, and _worse,_ _he_ liked _her!_ Before he saw much more, the distraught lion left the area.

It was just as he had feared; Mela didn't like him, and she was looking for someone else. Unfortunately, that _someone_ was this perfect specimen of a lion. Strong, smart, charming, handsome, and an all around _good_ guy. There was no way he could compete, not that he had much of a shot even without Leander.

Amari let loose an exasperated sigh and hung his head in the orange light of the sunset. In the distance he could hear the lioness he loved flirting with the lion that he needed. It was ironic to say the least; by completing his mission, he had killed any chance that he had with being with the one he loved. The worst part was that he didn't blame her. Why should she choose him? The clumsy, un-athletic, and awkward lion. He didn't deserve her and he knew it. Mela deserved better and as much as he hated to say it, Leander was better. She deserved him.

"Come on, Amari!" he heard Mela call from afar. "Let's go."

He shook off his despair as best as he could and headed back to where they were laying. "Are you sure?" he asked, gesturing to her paw; over the hours it had developed a dark bruise around the joint.

"Yes." She insisted adamantly. "Let's go, the sooner we get to this pride, the sooner we can sleep!"

Amari grinned slightly. He hadn't realized how tired he was, but it made sense. After a day of traveling, hunting, and fighting, he needed rest. In the morning maybe they would head home. _Home_. The familiar word echoed pleasantly inside his mind.

The other two began to walk, and he followed them… at a distance. From what he could see, Mela was _happy_. The smile on her face was something that he hadn't seen in a long while and it lit up his mood. It hurt that he wasn't the cause of the joy, but there was nothing he could do about that. He was happy that she was happy and kept his distance out of respect. She was enjoying her time with Leander, and Amari didn't want to get in their way.

"Amari, why are you so far away?" Mela asked suddenly, waking him from his tormented trance.

"I, uh…" he stammered nervously. "I was thinking about something else is all."

She frowned at him, easily seeing through his mask. "Well if you've finished your thought, come up here and join us. I was telling Leander about Simba's story with Scar and everything."

Amari grinned as he quickened his pace and caught up to them. "I don't know if we have enough time to tell that story, it would take like an hour and a half to get through."

"Well we'll at least _start_ it." She countered with a chuckle.

Amari nodded as she began to tell the story. _Maybe he wasn't quite as out of the loop as he thought he was._

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

After about a good hour and a half, Mela finished the story, and their destination appeared on a dark hillside not too far away. They entered the pride's area just as most of its members were preparing to sleep. Lionesses carried their sleeping cubs off to a small fissure in the ground and the king sat solemnly atop a large rock overlooking the savannah.

Amari and Mela were both relieved to see another pride like Tulon's and not another strange pride. They followed Leander through the native lions, taking notice of the many greetings he received along the way. It was clear that he was well known and respected by many.

"Leander!" the king called from his rock. "Good to see you again!"

"Likewise, Muba." The hero replied. "Glad to see that you all recovered from that snake."

"Thanks to you." King Muba scoffed. "If you hadn't killed that beast off, we might have lost even more of our family."

"Well perhaps now you could help _me_."

The king looked surprised. "Of course… what can I help you with?"

"Not me, exactly," he explained as he gestured to the two Pridelanders. "She's hurt and needs a place to stay the night. Yours was the closest pride aside from Farole, and I was hoping you could provide us with asylum."

Muba nodded with a small smile. "Of course, friend. I understand why you didn't want to go to Farole. You're all more than welcome to stay for as long as you like. We have plenty of food and I can find a healer for your injuries."

"Thank you," replied Mela. "But it isn't that bad. I just need to rest it for a while."

"Well there are some empty caves towards that tree over there, I'm sure they will be fine for you."

"Thank you." She said, bowing courteously. Amari did the same.

Mula turned to Leander. "I have a funny story for you, if you want to hear it."

He smiled and nodded. "Of course," then to Mela. "You go ahead, I'll catch up later."

She nodded and started off with Amari a short distance behind her. They found a free cave in no time and they were quite pleased with the accommodations. It was clean, out of the wind, and private. In short, it was unlike their earlier sleeping spot in every way.

Amari quickly found a corner and laid himself down. It had been a long day and he was eager to go to sleep. "Good night." He said shortly to Mela as she cleared away a small bit of dust from a slab of stone.

He laid himself down and closed his eyes. Sleep seemed to beckon him, but a voice pierced his bliss. "Amari?"

It was a nice voice, a beautiful voice, _Mela's_ voice… but he didn't want to talk. He wanted to sleep and forget about everything that had happened that day. He couldn't though… he _loved _her.

"What?" he replied without looking up.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said, quickly regretting the degree of forcefulness that he had used.

"No you aren't." she stated simply as she hobbled towards him."

"Don't." he told her. "You're hurt, stop using your paw and stay over there."

She gave him a grin and kept going until she reached the rock next to him. "Too late; I'm already here." She said as she laid down next to him. "Now what's up?"

Amari looked away and was silent. There was _no_ way that he was going to tell her what he was feeling.

"Amari…" she said softly. "Come on. You can tell me."

He sighed deeply; she had gotten through his adamant defense with purely her soft tone. He just couldn't say no to this girl. "You _like_ him."

She nodded, as if she had almost been expecting the accusation. "Yea… I do like Leander, but you should like him too. He's the _hero!_"

"I do… I mean, as much as I can."

"You don't like him because _I_ like him, right?"

That wasn't it. "No… I don't like him because he's perfect for you. I can see why you would take him over me."

She sighed forlornly at his statement. "Don't be like that, Amari. I _do_ like you, and I _do_ care about you… just not in _that_ way. You can't blame _yourself_ for _my_ feelings."

He only nodded.

"You saved me today…" she began slowly after a moment or two of silence. "I never really thanked you for that."

"No, Leander saved us. I was pretty close to almost dying… _again._"

Mela looked him square in the eye. "You fought to protect me while I was injured. There's not much more that I could ask you to do."

He didn't know what to say in response… he wasn't as proud of what he had done as she seemed to be.

"Look, Amari." She said after a moment. "Maybe I _do_ like Leander, but that doesn't mean that he's more important to me than you. You're one of the best friends that I've ever had, and I'll always love you for that. You and I have something that will never be broken, no matter _who_ I'm with romantically. I'm sorry that I can't love you like _you_ love me, but we'll always be friends, right?"

Amari allowed himself to put on a weak smile. "Right."

She returned the smile. "Good, 'cause I don't ever want to lose you."

"Me neither." It was a touching moment for Amari. He could tell that it was final; there was little hope in ever getting her to love him like a mate. Still, her words comforted him greatly. She cared for him as a friend, and he was alright with that. He would still get distraught when he saw her with anyone else, but she was right. Through their journey they had developed a bond; a bond of love, and though it wasn't a _romantic_ love, it was still love nonetheless.

"Thanks, Mela." He said softly. "It's been great being with you for the past weeks."

She smiled back at him. "I wouldn't have wanted to go on this with anyone other than you."

*****Author's Note*****

**Hello everyone and thanks for reading the next chapter. After some quick math, I've concluded that this is my most popular story at nearly 10 reviews per chapter. Thanks to all of you who liked this enough to review and I hope that you keep doing so!**

_**!PLEASE READ!**_

**Over the past few weeks, I've gotten a lot of questions regarding what my next story will be. Those of you who have been following my work over the past year have probably noticed that I usually start my next story very soon after (if not before) ending my earlier one. This time however, there won't be another. Life is changing for me, and soon I won't have the time or capability to write here anymore. I hope that I've given you some decent stories during my time here and I want to thank you all for all of your support, praise, and **_**especially**_** of your criticism.**

**Thank you for reading, and I hope that you take the time to comment as this story winds to a close.**

**-Ben**


	10. Chapter 10: The Villain

*****Chapter 10*****

*****The Villain*****

Amari yawned and stretched his limbs as he slowly woke from his deep sleep. The golden light of the early morning crept through the mouth of the cave, and slowly the bittersweet memories of the night before emerged from his dreamy thoughts. _Leander… Mela…_ Relief of finding help mixed with the familiar sting of rejection that he was only just beginning to get used to.

'_CRACK!'_

Amari leapt to his feet in a flash at the sharp sound; he bared his teeth and unsheathed his claws to confront his would-be attacker. He scanned the cave intently, the sleep and exhaustion gone from his body.

"Mela?" he asked confusedly when he saw the familiar lioness standing not too far away. A large slab of stone lay shattered on the hard ground next to her. She looked at him with big and embarrassed eyes.

"Sorry…" she said in a small voice. "I _swear_ it was an accident. I just bumped it and it fell."

His racing heart slowed gradually to a normal speed as his mind caught up with his body's reaction to the false danger. "Y-you made that noise?" he stammered. His lips weren't quite warmed up for speech yet.

"Yea…" she said as she glanced down. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

He shook his head slowly. "Uh, no actually, you didn't. I was already awake."

She smiled slightly. "Sure you were."

"I _was!"_ He declared indignantly. "Just not all the way."

"Right. You can go back to sleep now, I was just going to go look around. I never really got a chance to do it last night."

"Nah, I might as well stay up." He declined as he walked over to where she was standing. "How is your paw?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Stiff, but not that painful as long as I don't go too fast."

"Well take it easy. We've got a long ways to go before we get home."

An amused gleam appeared in Mela's eye. "Oh so now _you're _warning _me_ about getting hurt?"

"Funny how the tables turn, isn't it?" he asked her as he walked by into the bright African morning.

She followed him out of the cave and into the middle of their host pride. They walked past several lionesses sunbathing on large stones, drawing the occasion glance of curiosity and approval from them. It was clear that being associated with Leander carried some positive weight around here.

It didn't take long for the duo to find the heroic lion; he was under a nearby acacia surrounded by a handful of the local pride members.

"It had me by the legs and was leaning back to go for the throat." He said in a suspenseful tone as his listeners hung onto his every word. "I couldn't even _move_ let alone swipe at the thing!"

Amari and Mela stood off to the side of the small crowd and listened to the gallant tale with interest.

"How did you fight without being able to move?" a small cub asked, drawing a grin from some of the older lionesses.

"That's a good question," Leander said with a sparkle in his eye. "You see, I may not have been able to move my_ body_, but my _head_ was a different story all together. When the snake lunged out to swallow me whole, I head-butted it with all my strength. I hit it so hard, that it loosened its grip on my legs and I was able to free myself!"

Amari couldn't help but smile at how enthralled some of the cubs were with the story. To be fair though, he was getting pretty into it himself.

"Once I got the serpent off of me, it was _my_ turn to bring the fight. I was on it before it could even look up from the floor." He leaned back against the tree behind him and looked up at the sky dramatically. "From then on it was sort of a blur to me… All I know is that the snake is dead, and no one has been hurt by it since."

"Wow…" an anonymous murmur came from the crowd while similar remarks echoed through the amazed pride. Leander just watched them all with amusement as he bathed in the glory of their awe. After a moment, he became aware of the two Pridelanders standing on the outskirts of the gathering and waved for them to come over.

"Everyone," he announced boldly. "This is Mela and Amari; they've come a long ways to find help for their family and soon I'll be going with them to be that help."

Ooh's and ahh's of approval rippled through the pride as Amari and Mela stood there with mild embarrassment. Neither of them liked all the attention that he was bestowing upon them, but they accepted it nonetheless.

"How are you two this morning?" Leander asked them directly, though he seemed to direct the question more at Mela than to Amari.

"Very good, thanks." Mela answered quickly before turning to the rest of the lions. "And thank you all for giving us a place to stay for the night."

She was met with empathetic smiles and looks of approval from the pride; for once it seemed to Amari as though they were actually welcome here, even if it was simply due to association with Leander.

After the talking died down, the great lion turned to the crowd. "Now if you'll excuse us," he said politely. "I think that we have a few things to discuss." With that, he rose and walked over to the two as the crowd began to disperse.

"Nice story." Mela said with a shy smile. "Wish we could have heard the whole thing."

"Oh it wasn't much." He said modestly. "These folks were just having some trouble with a big snake. It killed a few of their friends and hurt a few more before I finally caught up to it."

"Good thing you were able to kill it." Amari remarked.

Leander nodded with a strange look in his eye, one that was slightly unsettling to Amari. But as soon as it appeared, it was gone.

"Not to change the subject," Mela began hesitantly, "But when can we leave to go home?"

"There are a few things that I need to take care of here," the great lion answered simply. "But it shouldn't take long at all. "If you want, we can leave this afternoon."

"That would be great." Mela replied happily. "Besides, I wouldn't mind a little more time to rest my paw."

"You know, in my experience I've found that one of the best ways to get an injury back to normal, is to work it."

"Work it?"

"Yea, move it, use it, you know. Not hard or anything of course, but you need to keep it loose."

She nodded appreciatively. "Okay… maybe I'll go for a walk then."

"King Muba has a trail that he patrols on a lot; it goes along the full perimeter of this territory and is a pretty easy walk. By the time you finished walking it, I'll be ready to go."

"Okay, maybe I'll do that then." She turned to Amari. "You wanna come with me?"

He shrugged. "Eh, I don't know. Maybe there's something for me to do around here."

She glared at him. "There _isn't_. Come on, you're coming."

He chuckled slightly. "Alright then, I didn't realize that you wanted me to come so badly."

"I just don't want to be bored. The scenery gets repetitive after a while."

"I know what you mean." He replied with a smile. "Like we haven't seen _enough_ of the landscape lately."

"Come on, it'll be fun." She insisted before turning to Leander. "Where did you say it was again?"

Leander chuckled softly at her enthusiasm. "Over there down the hill," he said, gesturing across the field. "It's a pretty worn path, so you shouldn't miss it."

She nodded in appreciation and smiled warmly. "Thanks, Leander."

Amari resisted the urge gag as he watched her blatant (and poor) attempt at seduction. He watched the lion out of the corner of his eye as they walked away and decided that he must have taken the bait; he stared at Mela fervently as she left.

"What was _that?_" He asked her after they were out of earshot.

She looked surprised. "What was what?"

_"Thanks Leander, baby…"_ he mocked, batting his eyelashes and swaying his hips.

Mela seemed taken aback. "Oh come on… that's what I'm supposed to do if I like the guy, isn't it?"

Amari just laughed aloud.

"Stop it!" she hissed. "I like this guy!"

"But it was sooo _bad_!"

"It wasn't _that_ cliché!"

"It was pretty cliché."

She snorted in indignation. "There's the trail… how about you shut up now?"

Amari grinned. "Alright, alright. You won't hear another word from me about _Leander_." He agreed as he batted his eyelashes on the word _Leander_.

He was about to laugh at his own mocking, but tripped over Mela's paw instead.

He looked up at her from where she had tripped him with a wide smile, thrilled with the amount he had managed to annoy her.

"Shut. _Up_." She demanded, clearly trying to stifle a smile of her own.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Amari made a mental note to thank Leander once they returned from the walk; it was quite a scenic route that managed to entertain his weary thoughts despite the rather redundant lands he had passed through in the weeks prior. But then, maybe it wasn't the land itself, but the way he was now looking at it all. No longer were these the lands of cruel and selfish lions, void of any noble individuals; now it was the land of hope and success. For the first time in a while, he felt _good; _the sensations of success and self worth surrounded him and filled his very existence. He inhaled the sweet savannah air and closed his eyes as he walked alongside Mela who looked as though she shared the blissful experience.

"This is nice…" she said softly, breaking the long silence. "…to walk for _fun_."

Amari nodded in agreement. "It is… it's very relaxing."

Something caught his friend's attention and she veered off of the trail towards a small pool of water. Amari had been about to do the same thing as soon as he saw the pool, and smiled at their similar thought process. He followed close behind her, and watched as she bent down for a drink.

Suddenly, she stopped and raised her head in apparent epiphany. She turned and looked Amari dead in the eyes.

"What?" he asked with confusion.

She shrugged, and gestured to the water. "Look."

He obeyed and walked up alongside her to stare down at the water's surface. It was a calm pool of crystalline water that was seemingly immune to the light breeze that passed through the air. Their reflections shone vividly without any ripples or disfigurations from the surface. "What?" he asked again. "Our reflections?"

Mela nodded. "Look at us…" she stated simply. "Look how different we are."

"I don't _feel _any different."

"Me neither, but _look_ at us. I look old… and worn."

Amari frowned; _maybe she had a point._ They both looked significantly older from when they had left Priderock, and the signs were obvious. Their fur was longer, eyes more tempered, and body's more rugged. For himself in particular, Amari couldn't help but notice the faint scars that ran across his front from his fight with Urak as well as the way his fur had lightened from the constant exposure to the African sun. More importantly though, was his structure. His youthful '_fluffiness'_ was gone from his body, though he didn't look skinny. No, the baby fat had been replaced with lean muscle, surely from the laborious physical toll that he was subjected to as part of being in this harsh landscape.

The more he looked at the foreign creature in the water, the more Amari began to realize the truth; the young lion was no longer _young_ at all. He was just a lion; a poorly trained, awkward, and clumsy lion who would surely spend his life alone. It was almost upsetting for him; now there was no excuse for his flaws. As a kid, Amari had always clung to the belief that his ineptitude was just a phase… a temporary speed bump on the way to maturity. He had always just assumed that he would be better when he was an adult, but now he knew that he had been wrong. He had changed, but not really. He was who he had always been.

"Are you going to have any?"

Mela's voice snapped him out of his self pity. "Oh… uh, yea."

"You okay?" she asked quizzically as she analyzed his facial expression.

"I'm fine." He replied quietly, dipping his head down to the water and taking a drink. When he lifted his head, he saw the ripples from his action blur his reflection. It was strange, but he took satisfaction from the image's destruction. "How's your paw? Is it loosening up?" he asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Eh." She replied neutrally. "I guess a little, but I won't be moving faster than a walk any time soon."

Amari was about to reply, but a foreign voice interrupted him instead. "Well _that's_ nice to know."

The two whirled around in a flash to see a trio of dark lions in between them and the trail a few yards away. Mela gasped in surprise, but Amari felt strangely; the normal fear of being surprised by nasty looking strangers was masked by sudden anger.

"Why does _everyone _around here have to sneak up on us? I mean really, what the HELL?"

The trio looked taken aback by his anger and exchanged confused glances.

"I mean _really_!" he continued indignantly. "If you got our attention from farther away, it's not like we'd run, we'd probably come up and talk to you _willingly_!"

A couple of the lions chuckled softly to themselves at the show before a fourth, and previously unseen lion emerged from behind them. "You should _really_ stop talking, Amari."

The Pridelander's blood froze. "_Urak._" He gasped in a near whisper. "What are you doing here?"

The cruel lion's eyes narrowed in amusement. "If you recall, I serve King Farole and this is _his_ land."

Mela frowned. "What? No, this is King Muba's land."

A toothy grin spread across his face. "No, my dear… Muba's land starts on the other side of the path over there." He said, gesturing to the path that the two had left a mere minutes earlier. "You left the trail, and entered into private territory. In short, you're _trespassing_."

Had the circumstances been less dire, Amari might have laughed. Were they really being held accountable for _trespassing _a whole six yards into another pride's land for a drink of water? It seemed ridiculous to say the least.

"We're sorry, okay?" Mela tried to negotiate. "We didn't know that the path was actually _on_ the border… I assumed that there was a little more space before we left Muba's land."

"It's good that you're sorry." Urak said eerily. "But Farole doesn't usually care that much. Not that it _won't _help; I just doubt that it will."

"Wait!" Mela protested. "Are you _really_ going to take us to King Farole over _this?_ We don't have time for this!"

A smirk appeared on Urak's face and was mimicked by his cronies. "Actually, I was only going to take _you_ to king Farole. You're friend, on the other hand…"

Amari frowned. "What _about_ me?"

Urak grinned a nasty smile. "I think you and I have some unfinished business to attend to. We never got to finish our little game from before."

"Yea we did!" he replied. "You nearly killed me!"

"I think the word '_nearly_' proves my point. I'm not _done _with you yet."

The Pridelanders' eyes widened in shock. _Urak was going to kill him for fighting with him before?_

"Back away from him." He told Mela coldly.

Amari's head was swimming with the speed at which the events had developed. He was _dead_, and he knew it. They couldn't run because of Mela's paw, and he was outnumbered and outmatched against a lion that had already nearly killed him.

"Did you hear me, miss?" Urak repeated. "Back _away _from him."

Amari suddenly realized that Mela wasn't moving. She only glared at Urak with an intensity that he hadn't seen from her before. It lifted his spirits slightly to see her determination to stay with him. But still, it was for her own protection; he didn't want her to get hurt from his fight. "Mela… you need to back away." He said in a near whisper.

She shook her head without taking her blistering glare off of Urak. "No, Amari." She replied quietly so that he alone could hear. "_You need to run_."

He statement shocked him. "But you're paw?"

"I said '_you'_, not '_we'."_

"What? No!" He protested. "I'm not going to leave you alone with these guys!"

"You _have_ to; you'll die if you fight him and they said that they would take them to Farole. I'll be fine."

"No!"

"YES!" she growled loudly, before returning to a whisper. "Go get Leander, and he'll be able to help. If you don't, he won't know what happened to us and that will be the end of _everything_!"

She was right, he decided. If he died here, then everything would be for nothing. He needed to find Leander and maybe he would be able to get Mela out of King Farole's hands. "Fine." He said darkly after a moment. "I'll go."

A faint smile was barely visible on her face. "Good."

"Are you two done saying your goodbyes yet?"one of Urak's cronies asked in a bored tone.

Amari nodded. "Yea… we are."

Urak's eyes narrowed, as if sensing a ploy, but before he could say anything the Pridelander dug his feet into the ground and pushed off with all his might, launching himself to the side. He raced to his top speed in a matter of seconds and ignored the thwack of branches and other foliage on his face as he bolted through the brush. Behind him, he could hear shouting and the padding of paws close behind him, but it was muffled by the deafening beat of his heart.

He crossed the trail back onto Muba's territory and kept running for fear of his pursuers. He hoped that they would stop at the border, but he doubted that they would. He kept running, ignoring the burn in his legs and lungs, in the direction that he _thought_ was Muba's Pride.

He ran for what seemed like forever, and though it soon became obvious that no one was following him, he didn't slow down. The thought of Mela being a prisoner to a king that punished very harshly just made his skin crawl and his mind race. _He needed to find Leander fast!_

He burst from a patch of trees onto a part of the trail that he remembered walking on earlier. He turned back towards where he now knew the pride to be and sprinted off again. He was getting tired… his lungs and mouth were dry and agonizingly painful. Small cuts had appeared on his body from ripping past think bits of brush and his feet were a throbbing red from the continuous pounding against the hard and rugged ground. He refused to stop.

The sudden sight of Muba's Pride suddenly appeared on the horizon at the end of the long trail and relief flooded his weary mind. He pushed himself even harder for the final stretch, feeling his muscles reach their limit. He had been running for many minutes now, and he was nearing his breaking point. As he neared the pride, another great sight greeted him. Leander was _right_ there between him and the pride. He thanked the kings that he wouldn't have to hunt him down.

The great lion caught sight of him and eyed him with confusion. He dropped the sticks he had been carrying for some unknown task and walked over to meet the still sprinting lion.

"What are you doing, Amari?" he asked him with confusion as Amari slowed to a stop in front of him.

He tried to answer, but he was breathing too hard. His breathing was ragged and his limbs weak. He tried to speak, but only a spattering of Saliva came out.

"Relax!" Leander commanded him. "Catch your breath, _then_ tell me what happened!"

Amari obeyed, and tried to slow his breathing to a bearable pace. Once he felt as though he could force out a few words, be began. "Urak s-showed up and t-took Mela. He said that we w-were trespassing!"

A look of astonishment crossed Leander's face. "What? The trail is Muba's land, not Farole's."

"W-we stopped for a drink at a pool on the other side of the path… we were only a few yards in, but he said that it didn't matter."

The hero nodded slowly and looked up at the midday sky without speaking.

"We have to get her out of there, it was an accident and we didn't mean to, and it wasn't her fault, and-"

"Calm down, Amari!" Leander said sharply, quickly silencing him. "We'll get her out of there, but you need to get a grip!"

He nodded, and lowered his gaze. "Sorry… I'm just really worried."

Leander was silent for several more moments, clearly deep in thought. Amari wanted to rush him, but he knew better.

"Have you told anyone else about this?" he asked after several moments of quiet.

"No… you're the first person I've seen since it happened."

He nodded. "Alright, follow me." He said before heading out into the open savannah, away from Muba's Pride.

Amari fell into step alongside of the larger lion, but was confused. "Shouldn't we go talk to Muba? Maybe he can negotiate her release?"

"No." Leander replied simply. "There is a lot of tension between Muba and Farole right now, asking him to deal with this would be asking him to go to war against his neighbor. Besides, we can handle this by ourselves."

"Won't he wonder where we went?"

"He knows me well enough to know that I often have to move around more than most."

Amari still wasn't too convinced, but he let the matter rest. It seemed like a tremendous task to free Mela without the help of an entire Pride, but this _was_ Leander, the _hero_. If anyone could do it, it was this guy.

The pair of lions walked through the savannah, seemingly without direction, for a long while in silence; it seemed to Amari that Leander was thinking, and he didn't want to interrupt his train of thought. Instead, he thought about what had happened. Now that he had time to think, he reviewed the events in the detail of his memory. The more he thought about it, the more he began to blame himself. He should have known that stopping at the pool was probably on someone else's land. He should have said something; he should have gotten a drink faster and moved back onto the trail sooner. In the back of his mind, he knew that such thoughts were useless and unrealistic, but he couldn't stop them; they came in waves that brutally crashed upon his mind without repent.

Eventually, the question that burdened his mind had to be asked. "What do you think they'll do with her?"

Leander looked over at him. "Honestly?"

He nodded.

The larger lion looked away. "Farole has never been known for his forgiveness… especially in matters of trespassing. There's a good chance that he'll execute her or at least hold her indefinitely."

"What?" Amari asked with horror. "He can't! We have to stop him!"

"We will." He assured him. "Farole has crossed the line."

**(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

They walked for most of the day, and soon the sun began to set, bathing the two lions in a blood red light that seemed to mimic the seriousness of the situation. By now, they were far out of Muba's territory, and Amari assumed that they must be circling around to a different side of Farole's land. Leander seemed to know where he was going, so Amari hadn't asked up until now. However, with the sun setting ominously in the background, he felt as though he needed to know.

"Um, Leander?" he asked slowly as they approached a small open area.

"Yes?"

"Where are we?" Not too far ahead, a dark spot in the ground caught his eye. It looked like some sort of depression or something.

"We're a little ways outside of Farole's pride."

"Okay… what are we going to do when we get there?" As they neared the dark spot, Amari realized that it was in fact a very steeply sided ravine. That extended a ways in either direction. The only way across was a fallen log that looked strong enough to support their weight.

"I'll explain in a minute." He replied shortly.

The look on Leander's face was a bit unsettling for him, but he accredited it to the circumstances at hand.

"We need to go across here." He told Amari simply, gesturing to the log across the ravine.

Amari looked at the log hesitantly before turning back to Leander. "Are you sure this is safe? It's kind of a long fall." He eyed the ground below with caution; it looked soft enough, but it was still nearly twenty feet down. He couldn't quite see in the light, but there was something white down there. Maybe it was a rock or something?

"It's fine," Leander said with a winning smile. "Trust me, I come through here all the time."

Amari still wasn't tremendously comfortable, but he trusted Leander. Careful to keep his balance, Amari stepped onto the log. It wobbled slightly, but not too much. He took a step towards the other side and looked back at his friend.

"You're doing fine." The great lion assured him.

Amari took a deep breath and tried to focus. _This was for Mela._ He took another step. Suddenly and without warning, the log moved. It rolled sharply to the side, destroying his balance making him gasp in fear. The Pridelander tried to fix the situation, but it was too late; he fell to the side and off the log, but managed to latch his claws onto the log. He hung there, his heart racing and his arms tight with adrenaline.

"LEANDER!" he yelled out. "HELP!" He looked over to where the lion was standing, only to see him _sitting_. _Why wasn't he doing anything?_ He was hanging precariously onto the side of a log! "LEANDER!" he cried again.

To his horror, Leander only looked at him with a cold stare for a moment before turning his attention to the log. Amari stared in shock as the large lion gripped the log and jerked it to the side. The force was too great; Amari lost the grip of one of his paws.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he screamed. "I'M GOING TO FALL!"

Leander smiled cruelly. "_Exactly."_ With that, he jerked it again and dropped it back to the ground.

He couldn't hang on; Amari tried to dig his claws in more, but he couldn't get a good grip on the smooth wood surface. He felt his claws release the fallen tree, and as if in slow motion he felt himself fall away from it. He watched as the walls of the ravine rose up on either side of him and the light diminish as he fell deeper into the pit.

With a solid '_thud,_' he hit the ground, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Everything went dark for a moment as pain shot through his body and he lost consciousness for a brief moment.

As the pain began to ebb away, he looked up at the edge of the ravine, twenty feet above him. Leander was standing there, watching him. "WHAT WAS THAT?" Amari screamed. "YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!"

To his shock, a smile appeared on the supposed hero's face. "Sorry about that, Amari, but I think this is where our paths split."

"What are you talking about?" He cried. "What about Mela?"

He shrugged casually. "She's as good as dead. Going into Farole's pride would be hopeless to say the least. We would probably get killed ourselves."

His words fell upon Amari's ears like strikes. "I DON'T CARE!" Leander's words infuriated him. "I'll do it on my own if I have to!"

"No you won't." he replied simply. "You see, if I let you go _without_ my help, then you would surely tell everyone about how un-heroic I was and that would really hurt my image."

"But you said you would help us! How is this any different from protecting us from a gang?"

"I can manage a gang, but Farole's pride is a different story. I'll fight for the title of _hero_, but I won't die for it. What good is being a celebrity if you aren't around to take advantage of it?"

"So you threw me into this _pit?_"

"Actually, I'm taking care of a few things by doing this. The first is that now I don't have to help you and your pride, the second is that my name is preserved; I can just say that you ran away when your friend disappeared mysteriously… who knows, maybe I'll even blame her death on _you_."

Amari was horrified.

"And the second thing that I'm taking care of…" he continued slowly. "Is a payment to an old friend."

"What are you talking about?" Amari asked, growing wary of Leander's dark stare.

"You remember the story about me and the snake from Muba's pride?"

Amari nodded.

"Well, I made it up. _All _of it."

"How? What about the snake?"

"I made a deal with her; she would go out deep into the wilderness, and every week or two, I would lead some pour soul right to her. That way, Muba's pride would think that I _heroically _killed the monster, and I wouldn't have to do hardly a thing except give some bad directions to travelers. Overall, it has been a pretty great deal for me, I mean you saw how much they _loved_ me."

Amari's heart chilled as he began to put the pieces together. "Leander… where is the snake?"

A grin spread across his face. "Her name is Xana, and she found a secluded little ravine out near Farole's place. Folks would fall in and not be able to get out… kind of like yourself."

"Just _SAY_ it!" he cried. "Is this where the snake is?"

"See that cave behind you?" Leander asked as he gestured to it. "She lives in there and comes out every night to see what has fallen in for her to eat. Judging by the sun, I would say that you have less than an hour before she comes to meet you."

"No…" Amari whispered in denial. "You can't!"

"I did." He said simply. "Don't bother trying to climb out; the walls are too steep and too slick to do that... You'll just tire yourself out."

Amari was speechless. The cold, heartless lion that stood above him now was not anything like the Leander that he thought he knew. _This was no hero, this was a villain!_ "How _could_ you?" he asked in a hushed voice. "You were supposed to be the hero…"

A cold laugh erupted from Leander's belly. "Please, Amari, grow up. There are no heroes out here, anyone who is willing to give his life for another already has. Heroes don't _exist!_"

"You're a monster!"

"I get that a lot from folks that fall down there. Funny how they never seem to appreciate me." Leander paused for a moment and looked up at the setting sun as it painted him a blood red. "I think I'll leave now. No offense, but I don't like to watch Xana eat… it's a bit nauseating."

Amari just glared at him in pure hatred.

"One last thing…" Leander said before turning away. "If you were still set on saving your friend, that cave is really more of a tunnel. If you follow it, you'll come out right at Farole's feet. Though, you might have some trouble with the cave's occupant. Good luck though!"

Amari watched as the villainous lion turned away and disappeared from the ravine, with him, all his hopes of salvation. Not only for himself, but for Mela… for his pride. Everything was lost. _He _had lost. Leander was right, the walls were far too steep to climb. All he could do was wait for _Xana_, or whatever the snake was called, to emerge from her cave and end him.

He scanned his surroundings in the dimming light with dread. His eyes locked onto a white object not too far away, maybe the one he had seen from above. He approached it warily and felt his soul fill with dread. _It was a lion's skull._


	11. Chapter 11: A New Fire

*****Chapter 11*****

*****A New Fire*****

The sun had set, and Amari's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkening night that was falling around him and he allowed himself to fall to the ground in exhaustion. He had been trying to climb out of the ravine, but the walls were made of terribly dry and crumbly dirt that collapsed and disintegrated whenever he attempted to climb out. So far, all he had received from his efforts was a dirty mane and a weary set of lungs. Now he just lay there at the bottom of the dark pit with the reality of it all beginning to set in. He lay there and allowed his heart rate to return to normal as he stared deep into the black hole of the snake, Xana.

Leander was long gone, and now it was just him… alone and doomed… and alone. It was odd though, he decided after a while. He had been in near-death situations before whether it was almost falling off the cliff, being mauled by Urak, or almost getting shredded by a bunch of lions that were too lazy to hunt for themselves; but this time it was different. He tried to sink into the familiar hole of self pity and despair, but he just _couldn't_. He wanted to recede into the deep recesses of his mind and find the strange comfort of solitude that he so often called upon, but it just wouldn't come.

No matter how hard he tried to pity himself, he simply couldn't stop thinking about Mela… how she might be even _worse_ off. Who was _he _to be so selfish? He was only a single lion, caught in way over his head in a mess that he wanted no part in. But this wasn't _about_ him; it was about _them_. Mela, Simba, Nala, the rest of the Pride. _They_ were the ones that were really the victims here. Who was he to complain when everyone else was in an even worse situation than he was?

He looked over at the pale skull not too far away. Its vacant eye sockets seemed to stare holes through his soul, chilling him to his very essence. A chill ran down Amari's spine as he inevitably began to wonder about the lion that the skull belonged to. Were they male or female? How old? Did they have kids? Were they in love? How did they end up here? Was there anything that they would tell him if they could?

He growled in irritation and clawed deep gouges into the powdery ground. _Leander_. The name infuriated him like none other, but not for his current predicament. He angered Amari by simply being the lying, murderous, and deceptive lion that he was. _A false hero; _a _Villain. _Really, he was a mere coward. Afraid to reveal his true nature to the world and afraid to do anything worthwhile. Never placing himself in any real danger, never fighting for something for any reason besides his own self. That was the defining factor for a hero, Amari decided. Sure they had to be strong and skilled, but without the empathy for others, it was all worthless. Physical traits were nothing if the owner wasn't willing to risk his life for another, and if he wasn't, well then what was the point of it all? Why should anyone trust, love, or even _live_ if they didn't think that others would help them regardless of the circumstances?

He felt his anger slowly dissipate and his grip on the sandy soil softened. _What did it matter anymore?_ He was alone and waiting to face his doom. He had been in sticky situations before, but there was always someone to bail him out whether it was Mela, Pandi, or even Leander, though the mere _thought_ of the murderous lion's name brought a subconscious growl from his throat. The more he thought about it, the more he became sure that this was it. No one was coming to save him; no one cared anymore. His luck had run out, and now there was no one to come and rescue him from this new threat.

A gravelly, grinding sound slowly became audible from the black tunnel, drawing Amari's eyes like steel to a magnet. From the inky darkness came sounds the Pridelander had never heard before; the sound of smooth flesh on hard stone, of the melodic _hiss_ of a tongue flicking in and out to taste the air, the sound of _death_.

He backed as far as he could against the walls of the pit, trying to keep his heart rate under control as he watched the emerging serpent with wide eyes. He knew it was useless, the snake had clearly already caught sight and wind of him; its cold reptilian eyes stared at him icily.

"So…" Amari began with a calmness that surprised even himself. "You're _Xana_."

**((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))**

Mela eyed her captors warily as they finally entered the Pride of King Farole shortly after dark. Their journey from the border to the Pride's actual living space had been unnecessarily long thanks to her excessive complaints and stalling tactics. She smirked slightly as she recalled how she had feigned excruciating pain in her paw and managed to get twice the number of rests that she really needed. She was sure that Amari would get help from Leander and Muba's pride; it was only a matter of time. Surely they would be able to work out a deal or maybe even help her escape. She purred slightly at the thought of the mighty Leander coming to her rescue; how romantic was _that_? She felt a little weird for liking the guy after so little time, but she just couldn't help it. He was noble, fearless, handsome, and just a stunning lion in general! How could she _not_ like him?

A sharp nudge from one of her escorts brought her back to reality. She reminded herself that she was a prisoner and in some very serious trouble. Her friends would undoubtedly come, but she needed to stay alive until they came.

"Keep _moving_." Urak's sharp voice came from behind as he prodded her forward through the war-like pride.

She was tempted to try and slow down again and try to buy a little more time for her friends, but the still tender spot on her cheek reminded her otherwise. Urak had proved to be less than patient after her fourth demand for a prolonged rest and responded with a harsh blow to her cheek. Sure it hurt, but it made her understand the limits of his tolerance; it was very _low_.

She took in as much information about this bizarre group that she had heard so much about; she knew that it might come in handy later on. The pride itself was placed on a large hill, possessively overlooking the surrounding savannah like a hawk over its territory. Situated atop the hill was a high-rising stone projection that served as the lions' shelter. It wasn't noble in appearance like the gentle tan sandstone that made up Priderock; instead it reminded her more of the elephant graveyard and the caves that penetrated the godforsaken place. The stone was a cold blackish gray with sharp outcrops of haphazardly placed rock spires. It just struck Mela as just _malevolent_ and overall unfriendly, just like its occupants. She was led down a wide and open aired path through a narrow pass in the massive structure past vicious looking guards on patrol. It seemed to her that there was no sense of family or community here; it was one big military state. There were no cubs, no overprotective mothers, no laughter… the only emotion she could discern from Farole's pride was distrust and anger.

The path slowly began to rise, and soon the native lions with their prisoner began a steady climb to the higher levels of the citadel. Mela eyed the side paths that branched off from their own with caution, as many of them hugged tight to the steep walls of the spires. It was commonplace for one side of the trail to be a sheer drop-off down to the ground level a dismal distance below. She had never liked the steep angles of Priderock, but this was just _ridiculous_! One misstep would mean certain death.

The thought of traversing the dismal heights preoccupied her all the way to their apparent destination: a large cave near the top of the great stone fortress. Before they entered, Mela glanced out at the stunning view from the dramatic elevation. The sun had just disappeared behind the distant horizon, leaving a brilliant hue of gold and red in the sky. She vaguely found herself wondering if Amari was looking at the same sight… wherever he was.

"Ready to plead your innocence?" Urak's words shocked her back into the cold reality of her dire situation.

She only glared at him with an icy stare. "Yes, I _am._"

He smirked with amusement at her determination and waved her forward into the dark cave. She obeyed and with a deep breath, stepped forward to meet her judgment.

At first all she saw was _blackness_, but soon her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. It was a barren room; one of necessity rather than comfort. The cold and damp walls seemed to radiate the icy chill of winter, thought the ring of lions farther in didn't seem to mind.

"Good evening, Urak." A melodically unpleasant voice called from inside the ring, quickly silencing all side conversations. "You're back later than normal, was there an issue on the border?"

The crowd parted as the cruel lion walked forward with Mela following reluctantly at his heels. "No _issue,_ Sire, just a small discovery."

They arrived at the center of the circle, and Mela looked upon the dark in shock. _He was so short!_ This was the legendary Farole? This was her captor? She resisted the urge to laugh at his diminutive stature as he rose to meet them.

"I take it that _she_ is the small discovery that you mean?" Farole asked, eyeing the Pridelander carefully.

"Yes, she and a friend were trespassing on our land, but her friend managed to escape back into Muba's territory. We haven't seen or heard from him since."

The king was silent as he began to walk in a tight circle around Mela. She shivered as she felt his cruel eyes on her. Slowly but surely, she felt the pangs of fear begin to work their way through her body. Farole may have been short, but he commanded obedience through his eyes and facial expression. Just the way he moved, as well… he seemed to almost _glide_ across the floor like some sort of apparition rather than a tangible lion. He was just so _strange_ that she felt herself growing fearful of him.

"Trespassing…" he began slowly. "Is a crime that we take _very_ seriously here."

"I can explain-"

"I don't want _excuses_; they don't carry much weight with me. The fact of the matter is that you _were_ trespassing and regardless of the reason, you _will_ be punished."

Dread began to fill her body, it didn't seem like she was going to be able to get out of this one.

"However… there is a small option that could absolve you of your crime." He said with a gleam in his eye.

"What?" she said unsurely, not really trusting the way he was looking at her.

"You see, I've been searching some time for a mate and queen to rule alongside me… but I haven't quite found the right lioness yet. I only make this offer to the most _beautiful_ lionesses that I meet, so I hope that you don't take this lightly."

"You want me to _marry_ you?"

"I'd like to give you a _chance_ to be my mate."

Everything in her head told her to bite her tongue, but she simply couldn't restrain herself. "From what I've heard, you've been making this offer a _lot_ and not many girls have taken you up on it."

Farole's eyes narrowed and the surrounding lions exchanged worried glances; clearly they knew where this was going.

"A _lot_ of those lionesses weren't facing the _death_ penalty as an alternate."

Her blood froze. _DEATH?_ FOR TRESPASSING_?_ "_What?"_ she hissed.

"You heard me." He replied with a toothy grin. "The cost for trespassing here is your _life_. Make your choice carefully."

She spoke her mind, without really censoring her rage. "I would rather die a _thousand_ deaths than spend the rest of my life married to a short little king like _you_ in this miserable _hellhole_ of a pride!"

Farole didn't blink. "Bad choice." He replied shortly before turning to Urak who was standing at attention not too far away. "Take her to the termite caves and hold her until dawn. I don't have the time to kill her now."

"Dawn then?" Urak asked with a nasty smile.

"Yes, at the peak."

Urak bowed lowly to his King before giving Mela a rough shove backwards. "Let's _go!_"

She stumbled from the push, but never took her shocked eyes off of the cruel king. _Death? Execution? _The whole thing seemed like a bad dream that she couldn't escape. She hoped to the kings that Leander and Amari would be able to get her out, but that possibility was seeming less and less likely the more she learned about this fortress of a pride.

"See you in the morning, my _dear_." Farole called with vague amusement as she began to back away.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

"So… you're _Xana._"

The snake was bigger than any snake he had ever seen, its body was thinker than his neck and her length was at least two or three times the size of his body. From the lack of teeth in her mouth and the sheer strength of her body, he judged her to be a constrictor.

If a snake could look amused, Xana did. "Few offfff my victims know my name… How isssss it that _you_ came to lllllearn it?"

The voice was like nothing Amari had ever heard, it sounded like a cross between grinding metal and the slither of grass in the wind with a strange emphasis on certain sounds. Despite the strange voice, Amari forced himself to speak and show as little fear as he could. "Leander told me."

Xana's eyes widened at the mention of the treacherous lion. Her body moved back and forth across the sandy ground, though her head remained stationary. For Amari, the unnatural sight made him queasy. "Ahhhhhh, friend Leanddddder. I was beginning to wwwwwonder where he had been over the pastttttt few weeks. His payyyyment was overdue."

"Well here I am." Amari spat bitterly.

Xana coiled her body directly in front of him, allowing her to raise her head to his eye level. The cold reptilian eyes seemed alien and evil to the Pridelander, but he didn't flinch. The way she seemed to _analyze_ him made his skin crawl.

"Listen," he began as strongly as he could. "I need you to show me mercy here… My friend is in trouble and I need to find help before its too late. Please, I have to help her!"

"Yessssss, yessssss…" Xana hissed cruelly. "And I'm sure that you have a mmmmmate and cub to live for… perhaps you would like to attempt to bargain with me as well?"

Amari frowned; clearly she had heard every possible plea from countless lions before him. "So you're just going to kill me and eat me? That's how this is going to end?"

"Nooooooo, sssssir. I ammmmmm not like you lionnnnnnnns. I do not kill _then_ eattttttt."

Amari felt his stomach knot in anticipation of the snake's next statement. "What do you mean?"

"I meannnnnnn that I eat my prey whole and usuallllly _alive_."

"I'm way too big for that… you couldn't!" he stammered nervously, eyeing Xana's muscular body.

"I've eattttten larger lionnnnnns than you."

Judging by the large lion skull not too far away, she seemed to be telling the truth. Amari was beginning to panic. "Please…"

"Ssssssnakes are not known for their _empathy_." Xana said as she slowly backed away out of Amari's reach. "We are knownnnnnn for our _ruthlessness_."

With a hiss, she lunged out at the Pridelander, her head pulling her body behind it. Before Amari could flinch away, she was around his front paw and sliding up his arm. In a frantic attempt to shed the predator from his body, Amari struck out with his other paw onto Xana's scaly body.

Unlike most other animals in the African savannah, the snake didn't make a sound as his claws drew shallow lines across the strange-feeling flesh. She only tightened her body around his arm and climbed higher to his shoulder in another flash. Amari was about to claw her again, but his arm was caught as it fell by her other end. Suddenly, he realized that he was caught with both his front legs in the air. With a solid thud, he fell to the ground and Xana slithered around his fallen body.

"NO!" he cried in panic as he felt her cold body against his ribs and shoulders. "STOP!"

"Shhhhhhhhh…" she replied calmly. "Don't fight, it willllllll go smoother."

He growled angrily and thrashed violently against her hold, only succeeding in rolling himself over onto his side so that he was staring into the chilling eye sockets of the ancient skull. He twisted his body and pushed against Xana's iron hold, but it was little use; she had him held tight.

He tried to inhale and let loose a deafening roar in a desperate attempt to scare her off of him, but the snake's tight squeeze made it impossible. His lungs were only half full, but the tightness of Xana's body held his ribs down.

Amari's mind was drenched in complete and absolute fear and panic; he could feel the serpent's body tighten around his ribs, getting tighter and tighter as he exhaled. His breath was being _literally_ squeezed out of him, and he knew that he didn't have much time before he suffocated and succumbed to the crushing strength of Xana's Body.

He groaned in pain as she tightened down onto his body; he felt his limbs going numb and his head beginning to feel light. He stared into the skull that still lay hardly an inch from his face. It was missing its jaw bone, giving it an eerie look of incompletion. _Was this his fate?_ Was he really going to die here, alone and defenseless at the mercy of a merciless snake?

From his history, this would likely be about the time when someone intervened and ultimately saved him. But no one was coming; no one even knew he was _here_! A sharp pain shot up his body as his muscles began to cramp.

No matter how much he wanted to look away from the gaunt and jawless skull, he simply couldn't. It seemed to stare at him with an unimaginable intensity that seemed to almost _speak _to him. _Where was the jaw?_ He thought suddenly, surprising himself with the randomness of the question. _Why did he care where the jaw was? _Nevertheless, he forced himself to scan the nearby ground for the missing bone.

To his surprise, he found it lying directly next to his shoulder, the jagged canine teeth pointed up at the star-filled sky. Despite the pain he was in, he found himself being grateful that he hadn't fallen on it, those teeth would have surely punctured nasty wounds into his side.

_But it wouldn't have!_ He realized suddenly. Xana was wrapped so tightly around him; he was hardly visible from the outside. Falling on the teeth wouldn't hurt him at all, _it would hurt Xana!_

He tried to cry out in pain as Xana tightened down once more, but no air came from his lungs. He had one shot at this, and he knew it; if he missed his target he wouldn't have any energy to try again. He would die.

He tensed his body as much as he could, and with a violent twist, managed to push himself off of the ground, though it was hardly a few inches. The combined mass of both his and Xana's body fell to the ground hard, sending a jolt of agony through his already hurt body. Yet, he was alright with the punishment as he heard the sickening crunch of shattering bone and ripping flesh as the teeth of the jaw bone pierced Xana's scaly side.

A furious hiss of pain and rage burst from the throat of the emotionless beast as the teeth shot nearly halfway through her narrow body. The pain must have been incredibly intense, because her grip on Amari seemed to nearly dissipate into nothingness.

Air rushed into his lungs, making him temporarily dizzy and blood flowed to his extremities, giving them strength and returning feeling to them. With a sudden roar of defiance, he threw her writhing body off of his, slashing across the scaly flesh with his eager claws.

He knew there was no one coming for him; he didn't _need_ anyone this time. _He was his own savior, and he was taking his life into his own hands_. Sick of having to be bailed out by friends and strangers, Amari rose to his feet in a flash to face Xana who was ripping the skull's teeth from her body not too far away. His body was still aching and his muscles were still weak, but his emotion overpowered all sensation, filling him with a focus he had never felt before.

"You _cretannnnnnnn_!" Xana hissed, spitting out bone fragments as she glared at him with hatred. "I willlllll make you _sufffffffer_!"

Amari didn't wait for the evil serpent to attack first; now it was _his_ turn! With a roar of purpose, the Pridelander threw himself at the still hurting snake with his teeth bared and claws outstretched. He ripped through her hairless body with surprising ease, exposing muscle and bone making Xana hiss in anger and pain. She tried to wrap herself around him again, but she was weakened by his blows; Amari ripped out of the attempted hold with ease and began a new barrage of strikes and slashes.

In a matter of moments he was on her throat, pinning her to the sandy ground with his full body weight. He felt her tail wrap weakly around his hind leg, but he paid it little heed as he watched her jaws open and close desperately, as if searching for something to bite. He could tell that she was trying to hiss, but his weight was suffocating her. _How ironic_, he thought with little amusement as Xana squirmed under his force.

Suddenly and without warning, Amari felt a tight grip around his neck. _Her tail! _He thought frantically, instantly regretting how he had ignored it before. The force wasn't much, but it was around his throat and threatening to cut off his breathing again. It yanked back, making him gag and lighten his weight on his enemy's throat.

Xana managed to inhale, giving her new strength to pull at his neck harder. Amari knew that if she managed to get out from under him, she could easily get him in another hold and choke the life out of him like she had tried to before.

"Preparrrrrrre to die!" Xana said sinisterly as she pulled harder on his neck, alleviating even more of the pressure on her neck.

Amari refused to allow her to gain the advantage again; he knew that he wouldn't be able to get out of it again. "NO!" he shouted, using his last bit of strength to pull against the tail. He ripped his clawed fist across Xana's throat with a roar of determination.

Her eyes widened in shock at his action, as did Amari's. He looked down at his paw, and the blood that was covering his unsheathed talons. He looked back to the dying snake with amazement.

"Youuuuuu filthy…. slllllllllimmmme." She said in a low whisper as the last of the air escaped from her failing lungs.

He watched with startled eyes as the sharp piercing gaze from her cold reptilian eyes softened and slowly faded. _Xana was dead_.

He waited a minute to make sure she was really dead before removing himself from the lifeless body. He took a few steps back and leaned against the wall of the pit in exhaustion and relief. _She was dead!_ And he had done it! Amari had never killed anything other than for food, and he felt strange for having done it. He had taken the life of another living creature. He felt sick and repulsed, but also thankful that he wasn't dead himself. It was a cruel world that he was in, and he had done what he had to do in order to survive. He wasn't proud in the least for how it had ended, but it seemed almost necessary in hindsight.

_MELA!_ The thought blew threw his mind like a brutal wildfire. _She was still Farole's prisoner!_ His mind raced through his options; he could try to find his way back to Muba's pride in the dark, but that would take too long and he would likely get lost. He could go after Leander in the hopes that he would help him, but he doubted that the treacherous lion would offer him much more than maybe a death by his own paw. Then there was the tunnel… his eyes drifted to Xana's lair, the one that Leander had mentioned leading directly into Farole's pride.

He groaned inwardly at the thought of crawling through the narrow passage by himself. Who knew what he would find… bones, bugs, grime. He shuddered at the thought, but stepped forward despite the fear. He didn't know what he would really be able to do, but he would sure as hell try.

"_Hold on Mela_…" he said nervously as he headed towards the cave's mouth. "_I'm coming_."

*****Author's Note*****

**Sorry for the really long wait, I changed a few things around a few times more than usual; it just wasn't quite how I wanted it to read until now. Please review, thanks for reading!**

**-Ben**


	12. Chapter 12: Infiltration

*****Chapter 12*****

*****Infiltration*****

The tunnel seemed to press onto him from all sides, the soft walls threatening to collapse onto his plainly mortal body and entombing him forever. It was pitch black, but Amari knew he was going the right way simply because there was no other way to go. Xana's tunnel has quickly necked down from its mouth into a narrow passage with not even enough room to turn around in. The ceiling rose and fell as he went on in the blackness; sometimes it even forced him to crawl on his stomach with his muzzle in the foul dirt and other times it rose up far over his head, allowing him to stretch his aching back.

He soon found that his original fears of the cave's repulsiveness were inaccurate; it was _far _worse than what he had anticipated. Ghastly corpses were horribly frequent, filling the stale air with their sharp stench of decaying flesh, embodying the very entity of death. Feces and snake skin lay about the soft and muddy floor of the tunnel, mixing with the bodies and debris until it was all one horrifying conglomerate of morbid waste.

Truly the worst part of it all for poor Amari was that he couldn't see any of it. He knew it was there from the countless missteps into broken rib cages and the stinging scent of decay, but simply could not avoid it. The deeper he went, the more he began to wonder if the _tunnel _was really a snake, and if he was just marching deeper into its bowels of death. Perhaps Leander had lied, maybe Farole's pride _wasn't_ at the end of this dark tunnel. Maybe he would wander for days and eventually die from some unseen threat. Maybe there were other snakes... maybe he would step off an unseen drop off... _maybe Mela would die_. That thought alone kept him going against anything ahead of him. She was in trouble and at the mercy of a notoriously merciless king. He had to believe that she would be okay, he had to believe that he would find her.

He pressed on through the blackness of both the cave and his own mind for what seemed like hours and miles. He felt as though he should be tired, but his focus gave him strength and courage that he hadn't believed existed. The tunnel weaved gently back and forth, but kept going on, steadily upward into the abyss. _Maybe he had already died_, he wondered. _Maybe this was his hell; sentenced to walk blindly through a tight and disgusting cave for an eternity._

A strange smell caught the Pridelander's nose, causing him to lift his head with a start. In an instant the smell was gone, but he had caught it nonetheless. The sweet smell of leaves, of freshly trodden dirt, of rain. It all contrasted so sharply with the stale and deathly smell of the cave that it was plainly obvious that an outlet was near. _Freedom _was at hand.

It was still night out, but the faint silvery blue glow of the moon and stars shone far ahead, hardly a pinprick from where he was in the cave. He quickened his pace as much as he could in the tight confines of the tunnel, harshly constrained by the walls. As he neared the faint light, his senses became overpowered by the sheer difference between the cave and the surface. His heart began to pound as he hurried toward his salvation, the cool breeze of the night feeling like fresh water on his dirty face.

Amari reached his destination suddenly and thrust his head out of the narrow hole that protruded outward into freedom. He drank in the fresh air with vigor and closed his eyes as the comforting breeze reassured his mind and cleansed his lungs. After a moment of rest, Amari looked around at the surroundings that he had emerged into only to be _shocked _to find himself overlooking a dismal fall to a hard ground far below. He vaguely wondered how he had managed to rise to such a height without noticing. Now though, he was more concerned with his precarious position atop the ridge. Thankfully, there was a small lip that ran alongside the sheer rock face that extended for some distance in every direction. Across the deep chasm maybe thirty yards away was another rock face of a different stone spire that connected with his far below. He stared in shock for some time at the massive structure he had emerged into, and began to wonder if perhaps this was Farole's home; the landscape certainly seemed to fit his reputation.

He carefully slid the rest of his body out of the tight tunnel and onto the ledge, terribly conscious of the very real danger of falling. The ledge was just barely wide enough for him to stand on, though there wasn't nearly enough to be comfortable.

Amari's heart began to pound like it never had before. He had hated Xana's tunnel, but now he almost missed the tight space! He took a deep breath and stepped forward along the ledge. Maybe he could follow the narrow walkway to some safer place where he could search for Mela. If this was Farole's pride, then she couldn't be too far away. Also if this was Farole's pride, Urak and other cruel lions wouldn't be too far away either. He made a mental note to keep as low of a profile as possible; he didn't really feel like _dying _tonight.

He crept slowly along the ridge, leaning heavily on the cliff for balance and testing the ground before each step to make sure it was stable stone. He made his way slowly, but surely along the clearly abandoned trail and began to hear voices as he neared a bend around a bluff. As he neared it became more and more obvious that the speakers were a pair of sentry's. They were discussing some unknown matter intently, even becoming heated as they started to disagree.

To Amari's relief, they stood atop the solid ground of a larger path; one that wasn't bordered by a horrifying drop off. To his dismay they were blocking his path. He crept forward under the cover of the night to hide behind an unhealthy looking bush. He watched the two guards intently, searching for some way to get around them. If they saw him, they would surely kill him on the spot.

"If you think that I'm gonna cover your watch just because you covered for me last night, then you're dumber than you look!"

"I'm dumb? You're the one who thought a boulder was one of Muba's Lions!" The other countered angrily.

Amari smirked silently from his hiding place; maybe this would be easier than he had thought. He searched the surroundings for a well covered way to get around them, though he really had no idea where he should start searching for Mela; she really could be anywhere in this massive stone complex.

After a short while of searching, he finally picked out the best way. It wasn't too great, but it had the longest grass in the area. It wasn't really that long by savanna standards, but what could he expect from plants that grew on the side of a stone mountain?

He slowly inched from the cover of his dark bush and crawled towards the long grass in silence, all while watching the two sentries warily. They just kept bickering back and forth about the most stupid stuff he had ever heard. He stayed low to the ground, his stomach dragging across the ground. His heart was pounding again, this time from the fear of getting caught rather than the fear of falling. _When this night is over_, he thought to himself, _he was going to have to sleep for a week_.

_If_ he made it through the night and _if _Mela made it through as well. The thought seared through his mind like white hot steel, stressing him even more. His focus was lost; he couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if he failed.

"SNAP!" A twig cracked under his weight due to his distraction. Amari froze in place, stricken by the horror of what he had done. The sentries were silent, clearly having heard the sharp sound.

Amari peeked out from the grass, only to see the two lions approaching him slowly from fifteen feet away, their footsteps padding sinisterly against the cold stone. They knew he was there, and _he _knew that they would find him in a mere matter of moments.

Ten feet. He stared at them intently as they began to search the grass. He prayed that they would give up.

Five feet. The larger lion's head shot up; he could smell the foreigner. Amari held his breathe and heard his blood flow in his ears.

Two feet. They knew where he was, they were coming. He wanted to run, but they would surely catch him. He didn't want to lead a chase through a hostile pride. He _refused _to go without a fight.

One foot. Amari lunged.

The sentry's eyes widened as the Pridelander's shape erupted from the grass with a hushed growl. He was so shocked that he didn't even try to move out of the way before Amari crashed into him and buried him with a barrage of slashes with his extended claws.

After a moment of stunned observation as his comrade was thrown to the ground and bloodied by the foreigner's attack, the second guard dove into the fray himself. All perception of up and down as well as who was who were lost for the three fighters, there was only _pain _and lack of _pain_. They tumbled along the hard stone as a single mass of lion; full of growls, slashes, and _blood_.

Amari felt sharp pain as well as the warm trickle of blood, though he wasn't sure if it was his own. He was sure that he had landed a few blows onto the sentries, and it sounded like they were hurting each _other _in the confusion as much as _he _was hurting _them._ He exhaled sharply as he was thrown to the ground with the smaller guard above him, repelled by a single paw. Teeth snapped a mere inch from Amaris throat and he slashed across his attacker's muzzle in response.

Amari felt instinct take over; before the sentry could reel back, the Pridelander latched onto his shoulders, digging his claws in deeply and drawing a snarl of pain. He leaned back with all his force and threw his hind legs into the lion's gut, launching him over Amari's body. He waited for the expected 'thud' of the body hitting the nearby stone, but it never came. Both Amari and the second guard looked up in shared confusion at the lack of noise.

They looked in the direction that he had been thrown, only to see the ledge that Amari had arrived from. Beyond that was the black chasm that seemed to absorb all light. In an instant, Amari put the pieces together; he had thrown the sentry over the edge! He had _killed _him.

The remaining guard must have come to the same conclusion because he renewed the fight with increased vigor. Amari kept his eyes up, absorbing most of the energy from of the violent blows by meeting them head on like Tulon's lioness had told him to do. A few got past his guard, but he kept his wits about him. He waited, blocking slash after slash, strike after strike. He waited for his opponent to over extend himself, waited for an opening.

_There_. He saw it, he _took _it. With all the strength he could muster, Amari lunged out with his claws unsheathed. He felt his talons rip through flesh and saw the eyes of his enemy widen in horror. With a strong twist, the sentry was sent rolling towards the same cliff that had claimed his comrade.

Much to Amari's relief, he stopped a few yards short of the fall. The Pridelander didn't want to kill him, he just wanted to find Mela. He watched with sympathetic eyes as the lion tried to stand despite the blood pouring from his shoulder. He knew what it was like to be at the mercy of another fighter; he felt _sorry _for the beaten guard.

"Listen-" he began as calmly as he could.

"Please, No!" The lion cried as he rose to his feet, cradling his damaged arm. "Don't kill me!"

Amari was taken aback. "What? I'm not-"

"Please don't!"

Amari took a step forward. "Listen, I'm not-"

"The girl is at the bottom of the spire! In a termite cave!"

His eyes widened in surprise. "Mela?" He took another step forward.

"Stay back!" The guard cried again, staggering backwards.

Amari eyed the ledge only a few feet behind his pitiful opponent. "Hey, watch out for th-"

It was no use; the poor lion wasn't thinking straight. As Amari reached out in a desperate attempt to save his former enemy from meeting the same fate as his the first, the frantic sentry flinched away to dodge some unseen threat. Amari could only watch in dismay as his hind leg slipped off the ledge. It only took a brief instant for him to disappear into the inky blackness as if pulled in by some unforgiving spirit, but Amari saw it all in slow motion. He saw how the poor soul frantically scratched at the stone in a desperate attempt to save himself. He saw how he cradled his wounded arm, the wound Amari had caused. He saw the look in the lion's eye when he realized that death was imminent and inevitable. He saw the empty space where he had disappeared and heard the dull thud as the body hit the ground so far below.

He sat there in the darkness with his eyes glued to the chasm that had taken the lives of two lions in a matter of moments. _ No that wasn't right_; the fall hadn't killed them, _he _had. He had taken their lives with his _own _claws; it was _his _fault that they were dead. Guilt overran his mind at the realization of what he had done. He wanted to look over the edge at the lifeless corpses, but simply couldn't muster the courage to do so. Maybe they wouldn't have attacked him if he hadn't attacked them;_ was he the villain here_? A cool breeze and a heavy raindrop woke him from his introverted thoughts, reminding him of the mission at hand. Amari looked up to see dark storm clouds rolling in from the distance, and within a few seconds the rain began to fall. It cleansed his body and mind, removing all stress and worry. He felt the still fresh blood wash away from his fur along with the dirt and grime from Xana's cave. The fresh rainwater soaked through his fur and saturated his skin.

His eyes shot open with renewed determination. Maybe he was the villain, but Mela wasn't. He would figure it all out later, but now he needed to find her. _At the __base of the spire in the termite caves_. He decided to take the fallen warrior's last words as the truth and started down the path towards the lower levels.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Mela stared at the pale red dirt that made up the walls of her prison. It had at first been refreshing to see a change in color from the gray stone that made up the rest of the fortress, but now the reddish tone was just giving her a headache. She tried to keep her thoughts positive, but it was hard; there just simply wasn't anything for her to be _happy _about. Her hopes of being rescued were diminishing fast as dawn neared. Sleep wouldn't come no matter how tired she was. She couldn't stop thinking about the mess she was in. More likely than not, Amari and Leander would show up too late or not at all. More likely than not, she would _die_. The more she thought about it, the more she began to doubt that they were coming at all; it didn't make sense and she knew it. Coming to get her was too risky, especially when they had so much to lose... No, Mela didn't blame them one bit if they chose to just leave her there to her already sealed fate.

She rolled onto her side and looked at her guard from a new angle. He seemed bored and tired, though he straightened up every time Urak came by to check on her. Clearly the cruel lion was looking forward to her execution and didn't want her to somehow escape.

Her paw was doing better, and for that she was thankful. She snorted in irritation as she wondered if she would really get much of a chance to use her paw other than to march to her own execution.

The emotion of it all hit her suddenly and without warning. The thought of death, being away from home, and the physical toll was all just too much; Mela had never been much of a crier, but she couldn't stand it any longer. The tears started off silent and slow, but soon she was sobbing uncontrollably. She missed her friends, she missed her home.

Salty tears streamed down her face as her chest trembled with her ragged breath. She needed a friend, anybody to comfort her. But no one was there for her. She was _alone _and would likely stay alone until Farole came for her in the morning. She curled up into a tight ball and buried her face under her paws, staining her fur with her tears. She stayed there for some time until her sobbing ceased and her eyes closed. She was asleep in a short while, finding some small comfort in the darkness of her dreams.

Amari padded quietly down the winding trail through the towering stone protrusions that loomed over him like vengeful gods, watching him and judging his actions. He had hoped that after his first fight there would be no more sentries to worry about, but he was sadly mistaken. Even though the pride was supposedly at peace, Farole seemed to keep his guards on high alert. They dotted the monument like ants, forcing him to leap into shadows every few minutes to evade detection. Thankfully, the sides of the downward sloping trail contained many small crevices and impressions that hid him from the moonlight and the now heavy rain covered his tracks and noise.

His drill was routine; slink forward to the next hiding spot and wait. If no guard showed up, he would creep forward again to the next place. If a sentry did come round the corner, he would freeze his body and wait for him to pass. At times Amari was certain that he would be caught, but each time the lion walked by and he thanked the kings for his luck. Maybe they were tired, or bored, or both, but he almost found it amusing how Farole's troops were so incompetent that they couldn't even detect _him_.

Still, it was a painfully slow process that consumed several hours of the night. By the time he reached the base of the structure, the eastern sky was just beginning to lighten with the pinkish gold that always preceded dawn. Here there were fewer guards, but he still hugged the shadows; the brighter light meant that he would be seen more easily.

The foreigner scanned the landscape for something that matched the deceased sentry's description. He remembered from his own experiences back at Priderock that termite mounds and caves were usually more of a red tone rather than a brown dirt. _He saw nothing red_. He searched frantically, getting more and more nervous as the dawn neared. Surely the pride would come to life during the day, and then there would be no hiding.

"_Where are you, Mela_?" He hissed to the silent breeze and falling rain that seemed to pull him back and forth, guiding him as he circled the base of the stone spires. He crawled over small outcrops of boulders and logs without finding anything even _resembling _a termite mound.

_It wasn't there!_ Amari quickened his pace, giving less thought to stealth. Just when he was about to assume that the sentry must have been lying, a slight tint between some not so far away boulders caught his eye. As he neared the site, a faint shadow became visible outside of what appeared to be a small cave that was situated in the side of the stone cliff, sheltered by a short overhang.

He came to a stop about twenty yards away, his body hidden by some long weeds. From his concealment he could see a faint reddish hue coming from inside the cave. This was it! Amari felt his body become tingly with excitement and relief. The guard by the entrance signified that someone was being held in there, and he had no doubt that it was his friend. _Friends_; the word pained him. He _loved _her, and there was no way he could deny that anymore, especially after going through hell to save her. He knew that he would die for her and that he would do it _gladly_, even though she might not do the same for him. Regardless, he had reached her prison. No he had to get her out.

*****Author's Note*****

**Sorry that this chapter took so long, I wrote it all on my phone, so it took a bit longer than normal. I'd also like to thank you all for giving me more than 10 reviews per chapter, it's so great to get feedback like that. I've got a couple polls that I've just set up, so if you want you can go to my profile and check them out. Thanks for reading!**

**-Ben**


	13. Chapter 13: Escape

*****Chapter 13*****

*****Escape*****

Mela woke with a start at a loud clap of thunder. After a brief moment of confusion, she remembered where and what she was: a prisoner Farole's jail, soon to be killed. She rolled over to look at the sky outside; her heart sank as the light gray sky greeted her. It was pouring rain and the sun was nowhere to be seen, but it was still clearly not night. Dawn seemed to be only a short while away, and it saddened her to know that her life was nearly at an end.

She stared out at the falling rain for some time, waiting for Farole to walk in at any moment, trailed by Urak. _Urak_; the mere thought of him made her blood boil. He was responsible for nearly everything bad that had happened to them so far. She knew that he was just _waiting_ to watch her die and would enjoy the show greatly. The same guard was still there, she noted with little interest. She wondered what it _he _thought of her situation. More likely than not, he didn't care one bit whether she lived or died. The harsh and upsetting reality took hold of her again as she rolled over to face the reddish toned cave wall with her tear stained cheeks.

She didn't want to give up, but she was getting pretty close to her breaking point. The stress and suspense of it all was wearing on her, almost to where she wished it would just _happen_ and be over with. It wasn't that she _wanted_ to die, but if it was going to happen anyways she just wished it could be without the drama and suspense.

Subtle footsteps sounded on the soft dirt towards the cave's entrance. _Farole; _he was right on time. Mela clenched her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. _She changed her mind, she didn't want to die! _The footsteps approached slowly, softly pressing in the reddish dirt into timeless impressions. Her heart began pounding uncontrollably as she sensed a body standing over her with piercing eyes. _He must be enjoying this_, she thought bitterly. _To see his victim trembling and unable to look at him out of fear._

"Mela?" a soft voice asked with an emotional pitch, barely perceptible over her the sound of her pounding heart. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes snapped open at the familiar voice, and she sat up in a flash, though still afraid to hope. Mela froze as she locked eyes with the soaking wet lion that stood before her with the expression of pure concern on his face.

_AMARI!_ her mind screamed, though no sound actually escaped her mouth. She couldn't contain herself at the sight of her friend; she lunged at him with all her weight and embraced him as tight as she could as they fell to the ground with a heavy thud.  
"I thought you were _him_..." she said in a muffled voice into his shoulder.

Amari was nearly speechless at his actions, he had expected her to be relieved, but this was far more than he had anticipated. "It's me, everything's okay." he said in a near whisper as he hugged her back.

Mela smiled to herself, unable to hold back the tears of relief that were welling up in her eyes. In a matter of moments, she was bawling in Amari's arms.

"Hey, come on now..." he tried to comfort her. "You're okay now."

"I thought you had abandoned me, I thought I was going to _die_."

Amari shook his head in disbelief. "There was no way in hell that I was going to leave you. You're too important to me."

She sniffed in a final tear and leaned back to look him in the eye. "Thank you, Amari. You saved my life."

"Well, considering that you saved me five times _already_, I'd say that I still owe you."

She shook her head in amusement. "We'll talk about this later; can we just get out of here?"

Amari was quiet as he thought about it.

_Something was wrong. _"Is Leander still talking with Farole?" she asked slowly.

"What?"

Mela frowned in confusion. "Didn't he negotiate my release?"  
Amari looked away in silence, his expression dark and brooding.

She didn't understand what was going on. "Well?"  
Amari bit his lip before speaking. "There were no negotiations... and Leander isn't here."

"What do you mean he's not here? Why did Farole let you see me?"

"Leander wasn't the hero we thought he was... he left. I came here alone."

"What do you mean? He just _left! _I thought he cared about me!"

"He doesn't care about anyone but himself." Amari replied with a growl. "But we can't worry about him now, we need to go."

Suddenly it all clicked into place for Mela. "You're _breaking me out?_"she asked incredulously. "How did you get past the guard?"

"I'll explain later," he said in a rush, suddenly realizing the time that they had wasted by talking. "We need to get _out_ of here!" With that, Amari turned back to the cave's entrance, gesturing her to follow him. "How's your paw?"

"It's fine; I got plenty of rest last night."

"Can you run alright?"

She frowned, "Pretty good. Do you think that we'll need too?"

He poked his head from the cave slowly and looked in both directions for any of Farole's lions. "We _might_." He turned back to her. "Come on, no one's around."

She followed him out into the pouring rain under the grey sky. She restrained a chuckle as she eyed her guard leaning up against a large stone. "So he finally fell asleep." she whispered.

Amari shook his head. "No, just unconscious."

Her eyes widened in shock as she caught sight of a nasty bruise that was forming on his brow. _Amari did this?_ she thought in surprise. _She hadn't even heard him do it!_

"Come _on!_" he mouthed silently to her, gesturing for her to follow him into a lot of long grass. "Someone's coming!"

She hurried over to the grass and hunkered down alongside her friend, so close that she could feel his chest rise and fall rhythmically in time with hers.

The two Pridelanders watched in complete silence as a small group of lions emerged from the trail leading to the higher levels of the stone fortress. They were heading to the cave at a brisk pace and passed hardly ten feet from where they were hiding. It was only a matter of time before they realized that they were gone.

Mela felt a nudge to her side and looked over to see Amari backing away silently. She followed behind him, carefully placing her steps so that no noise would be made. They were nearly out of sight of the cave when an enraged roar shattered the silent peace of the early morning.

Amari swore. "_They know_."

"Should we hide?" Mela asked worriedly.

He shook his head in frustration. "It's muddy... we're leaving footprints."

"They'll see our tracks and _follow _us." she finished his thought.

He nodded in agreement just as a voice belted from the cave. _"FIND THEM!"_  
"Yea, we're definitely going to have to run."

The two took off in a flash for the open savanna, leaving behind the stone citadel that had been the bane of their existence for the past day. They passed a handful of lions sitting under an overhang who only watched them leave with mild interest. Clearly Farole didn't pay them enough to take the initiative on escaping prisoners.

They raced through the open savanna with the rain painfully pelting their bodies like small stones. Amari struggled to see in the blinding weather, but he knew generally where they were going. He knew that Muba's pride wasn't too far away and that it was at least in this general direction.

He turned his head to check behind them. To his horror, a small group of lions was on their trail. They were a good distance away still, but the lead chaser was gaining on them, leaving his comrades in the dust, or in this case _mud_.

"He's coming!" he roared over the deafening downpour.  
"Who?"

"Urak!"

She looked back and squinted her eyes against the rain. "How can you tell?"

"Trust me, it's _him_." he replied darkly. "I can _tell_." Amari did some quick estimations in his head, and quickly came to a bitter conclusion. _There was no way that they would make it to Muba's territory before Urak caught up to them._

Amari was beginning to tire surely a side effect of the constant strain he had been under throughout the night. He was beginning to feel the many bruises that were beginning to form under his fur as he ran on his last burst of adrenaline. His heart had been pounding at an insane rate all night, and now he was making it race even faster as he gasped for air amidst the rain.

A quick glance at Mela revealed that she wasn't doing too well herself. She seemed to favor her good side and placed as little weight as possible on her injured paw. Amari knew that she had insisted that she was fine, but the pained look on her face was a sure sign that she was hurting. In fact, she seemed to be almost _struggling _to keep up at his slowing pace. He stole another look behind them, only to see that Urak was even closer.

"Amari..." Mela gasped in between ragged breaths. "Please don't tell me that we have to get over _that_!"

He looked up ahead and felt his spirit sink at the sight of a rather steep cliff. It was probably only fifteen feet or so, but it would certainly slow them down and perhaps even allow Urak to catch them. Amari searched for a way around the stone face, but it only got taller and steeper in either direction. "I don't think we have much of a choice!"

Mela swore, but didn't say anything further as they approached the obstacle. Amari knew that he would have to keep up his speed if he was to get a good run on the wall, but he was nearly out of energy. Still, he pushed himself harder against the excruciating pain of fatigued muscles.

The two Pridelanders approached the rock face at full speed and Amari felt a small twang of relief as he caught sight of a narrow ledge about halfway up the side; a natural step to freedom.

With a growl from his throat, he kicked off the ground and pulled himself onto the ledge in a single motion. He paused for a moment to make sure Mela was able to do the same, but his heart sank when she only made it halfway up.

"Come on!" he shouted urgently. "You can do it!"

She backed up for another running start, but wasn't able to get very high up the rock due to her injured paw. "I can't!"

Amari reached down and extended an open paw. "Do it again, I'll help you!" Against his better judgment, he also looked back from the direction from which they had come to see Urak hot on their trail. Behind him a ways was the rest of Farole's troops, but Amari was sure that Urak would be able to finish off Mela and him before they even got close.

His eyes shot back to Mela as she ran toward him again, this time making it farther up than before. To his relief, she caught a firm hold of his outstretched paw and kicked at the side of the ledge as he pulled her up. She fell to the wet stone in a heap of exhaustion, panting for the air that she couldn't get enough of.

"Mela, we need to hurry!" Amari shouted as he watched the approaching forces.  
She nodded in acknowledgment and slowly rose to her feet to climb to the top of the cliff.

Amari could see from the look on her face that she didn't have the strength to pull herself up on her own; it was too high and she was too tired. "Climb on my back!" he shouted over the deafening downpour.

"What?" she asked him with a confused expression, clearly not understanding what he had in mind.

"Just do it!" Amari cried as he dove under her arm.

Mela's eyes widened in understanding as he shifted her onto his back like killed prey and leapt for the ledge above them. She wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to choke the air from his throat. She felt her friend grab hold of the stone above their heads and his body became tense as every muscle in his core worked to lift the two of them up.

She was so tired, so broken. No matter how hard she tried to catch her breath, it was never enough and the sickening onset of unconsciousness was threatening to take her over. She fought to hang on to Amari as he pulled them both over the lip and onto the sopping wet grass above. She groaned in confusion as her arms collapsed and she lay in the cool grass with the heavy drops of rain splattering on her face with a rhythmic pattern. _It felt so good not to move._

"MELA!" came Amari's voice. "He's coming!" Her eyes shot open as she remembered the situation. _They _may have struggled up the cliff side, but Urak would surely scale if faster and with far less effort. She struggled to her feet and looked to Amari, but he wasn't looking at her. Instead, his eyes were locked with horror at the lion near the base of the cliff. Urak made it to the first ledge with little difficulty and prepared to make the final leap to the top.

Amari looked to her with urgent eyes, ones that seemed to fill her soul with eternal fire. "RUN!" he cried, and with a roar of dissent, turned to the drop off. Mela watched in shock as Urak's body emerged from the lower level and prepared to strike out at her, just as Amari pushed off the wet ground and tackled the cruel lion before he even touched the ground. In an terrifying instant, the two lions disappeared over the ledge.

"AMARI!" she cried as sharp distress overtook her, quickly stamping out her exhaustion. She ran to the ledge with an unprecedented speed, only to see her dear friend struggling to his paws nearly fifteen feet below.

Amari snarled as he blinked the mud from his eyes and looked to where Urak had landed. The lion was also rising, though Urak held a much more vengeful look on his face than Amari did.

His eyes snapped up to the top of the ridge and locked with Mela's. "Run!" he shouted. "Go to Muba!"

"No!" she shouted back. "I won't leave you!"

"Do it!"

A smirk appeared on Urak's face as he began to circle the Pridelander. "Kind of Ironic isn't it? You left her, then came back for her, and now you're trying to get _her_ to leave _you!_"

"Mela, get _out _of here!" he yelled, ignoring Urak's taunt.

She only stared at him with steely eyes.

Amari was about to yell again, but a clawed paw cut him off. It swung past hardly an inch from his face, splashing the falling rain onto his face. He reeled away and sunk into his low stance, ready for the oncoming barrage.

Urak grinned as he mirrored his stance. The two locked eyes in an iron stare, neither one blinking. "I've been wanting to kill you for a _long_ time." he stated cruelly.  
"Well here I am." Amari retorted. With a roar of defiance, he lunged out at his pursuer with all his might. With his body fueled by rage and adrenaline, he slashed out at Urak with his claws outstretched.

The first few blows swung harmlessly over Urak's head, but the last clipped his shoulder, drawing a fine line of blood. He tried to sneak in a swipe underneath his opponent's guard, but Urak blocked it with a solid smack of his forearm. In a single fluid movement, the dark lion's claws shifted from the block and slid up Amari's arm. He smiled in satisfaction as Amari roared in the pain of his ripping flesh.

Though the pain was intense, Amari fought the urge to pull away and instead launched himself at his attacker with his head leading the way. Urak's eyes widened in surprise as the Pridelander's skull connected with his jaw, sending him reeling backwards into the mud.

Though he had dealt the blow, Amari struggled to remain on his feet; his head was swimming from the head on collision. He quickly looked up to the top of the ridge, and noted with relief that Mela was gone. _She was safe_. To his other side, he could see the approaching forces that had been trailing Urak. They would surely arrive shortly and put an end to the fight at his expense.

He looked down in distress at the wound on his shoulder, thanking the kings for the adrenaline that was pumping through his body and numbing the pain. Amari looked over at his rising opponent who glared at him with a fiery rage.

"What?" Amari asked through clenched teeth. "Hoping for an easier fight?"  
Urak only roared in response and lunged out with unsheathed claws. Amari threw himself to the side and rolled ungracefully across the wet grass, narrowly dodging the attack. He scrambled to his feet with just enough time to see Urak leap at him again. This time, Amari dug his heels into the mud and pushed off to hit the lion as he came at him. The two collided with a sickening thud and fell to the ground locked in pitched combat. They rolled over each other in a frenzy of slashes, bites, and claws. There was weight on him; he couldn't breathe.

_Amari felt pressure on his lungs, Xana's body was squeezing the life out of him, murdering his breath. He felt her cold scaly body tighten and his joints pop in distress. Her eyes bore into his like those of a sinister demon's, icy and unfeeling. He refused to die like this!_

With a roar of emotion, Amari jolted himself out of the flashback and threw his hind legs into Urak's gut, lifting the dark lion's body off of is and allowing his chest to breathe. He twisted his body sharply as he held onto his opponent, bringing him down hard onto the ground next to him.

Urak's eyes widened as Amari's body appeared over him in a flash and sheltered his face from the pelting rain. He tried to rise from where he had fallen, but a sharp pain on his shoulder prevented him from doing so.

Amari drove his claws into his enemy's shoulder without remorse as he slid his other paw to Urak's throat. He felt a tap on his thigh where he was trying to thrash, and quickly pinned the dark lion's legs with his own. He knew he had won, though he didn't really know how. There was no thrill, no pride, no ego that was gained through the victory; merely survival for a few more moments as well as a chilling awareness that Amari had never felt before.

He stared into Urak's black eyes with a calm rage. He was in complete control, both of his opponent as well as himself. The rain fell onto his hide countless times in a second, but Amari felt every one individually. He felt his heart pound at a steady rate of excitement that seemed to provide rhythm for his movement. Urak squirmed under the Pridelander's weight, but wasn't able to free himself. Amari unsheathed his claws and pressed down onto his exposed throat.

"You've made my life a_ living hell_." He hissed at his subdued opponent. "I should _kill_ you now."

"Do it." Urak said with a nasty grin. "Unless you don't have the _guts_ to."

Amari felt his rage boil under his skin at the taunt, but maintained control. He desperately wanted to kill the monster, but everything he had ever been taught was screaming _no_. He wanted the satisfaction of ripping his throat out, but knew that the guilt would nearly destroy him. _No, he couldn't do it and he knew i_t.

"AMARI!" a deep voice sounded from atop the ridge. "Don't!"

The Pridelander looked up in surprise to see a large lion descending the rock face. The same lion that had helped him after Urak had first mauled him. "Tulon?" he asked with confusion. _ What was he doing here?_

Tulon landed in the mud not too far away and approached the two combatants slowly. "We'll take it from here, Amari." he said soothingly. "We need him _alive_."  
Amari was dumbfounded at the arrival of the King. "What are you doing here? What do you mean _we_?"

Tulon smirked. "I don't go places alone, Amari." With that, he gestured to the ridge while Amari watched with stunned silence as a handful of lions followed the king down the slope.

"Like I said, _we _will take care of Urak."

Amari's thoughts turned quickly to Urak's followers who had been only a short distance away. To his amusement, he managed see them running in the opposite direction, clearly for fear of being caught by Tulon's troops. He looked back to the king who was now standing directly in front of him. "If I let him up-"

"He won't do anything." Tulon assured him, though he seemed to be directing the statement at Urak more than Amari. "If he does, _I'll_ kill him personally."

Urak growled in anger, but nodded in understanding. As good a fighter as he was  
Amari paused for a moment, but then removed himself from atop his enemy. Tulon gestured for the surrounding lions to take the fallen lion and then moved toward Amari. "It's good to see you again." he began calmly. "It seems like you've gotten to be a bit better at holding your own."

Amari wasn't listening; he was busy watching as Urak was led away, escorted by four lions. "I need to go."

Tulon looked taken aback. "What? No, you're hurt."

Amari started towards the ledge and began to lift himself onto the first platform. "I need to find Mela!"

Tulon looked like he was ready to laugh. "Who do you think led us to you?"  
"What?" he asked, pulling back away from the rock face. "She found you? Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's _fine_, just exhausted. She found us maybe a hundred yards from here and told us where to go."

Amari felt his soul calm slightly as he became confident in her safety.

"You never told me what you all were doing here in the first place." he stated after a moment of silence. "You're a long ways away from home."

"Well, I assure you that it wasn't to see you." the king replied with a chuckle. Amari didn't smile, causing him to trail off somewhat awkwardly. "We intercepted a message from Farole to a pride down south. He was trying to gain allies so that he could overthrow myself and the rest of the kings in the area."

"So you came to see Farole?"

Tulon shook his head. "We came to _fight_ him. If he wants a war, we'll offer it to him on _our_ terms, not his."

Amari almost smiled. "He won't fight you without allies."

"That's what we're counting on. With any luck, we'll manage to force his surrender and make him disband the army that he's been building. Maybe we'll even be able to use Urak as a bargaining chip."

The Pridelander nodded in understanding, but truly didn't care much about Tulon's plans. He wanted to see Mela. "Where is she?"

He gestured to the top of the cliff. "Up there... but let me get someone to help you; your shoulder doesn't look too-"

"I'm _fine_." Amari replied shortly as he resumed the climb to the top of the ridge.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Mela struggled to stay conscious as she was laid under a wide branched acacia tree by Tulon's lions. She appreciated the shelter from the pouring rain, but it was a secondary thought for her. She fought to fight off the horrible exhaustion and adrenaline crash, but it was too much. _She needed to see Amari! _ The thought of her friend once again at the mercy of Urak was just too much for her to bear. He had saved her from certain death, and now she was left with pure uncertainty and worry as he faced their mortal enemy _alone_. She wished she could be with him, even if it was for nothing else other than to just _be _there for him. However, regardless of her wishes, she could not deny the strict rules of biology that her body abided by. Soon she fell into the inevitable darkness of sleep, still nervously awaiting the news of Amari's well being. Even in sleep, she couldn't shed her worry.

She woke some time later; it was sunny. She rose to her feet with ease, vaguely noting that her paw didn't hurt any longer. The sun poured through the leaves like golden water, painting her and her surroundings a brilliant yellow. Tulon approached her from afar, a somber frown on his face.

"Where is he?" she asked with a calmness that surprised even herself.  
"Mela..." Tulon began slowly, a pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry... we _tried_."  
She felt her heart slow to a stop in horror. _No..._

"We stopped the fight... but Urak had already hurt him. He tried to go to you, but he was losing too much blood. Amari collapsed before he reached the top of the ridge."  
She couldn't breathe, _it __couldn't __be true! He couldn't be_- "Is he _d-dead_?" she asked with a trembling voice.

Tulon hung his head lowly. "I'm sorry, Mela."

The wind was deafening in her ear as heavy storm clouds returned to the sky with striking speed. "No... he _can't _be!"

"We tried to stop him, but he wanted to see you so badly. He said he that he couldn't wait any longer."

Her knees suddenly could not support her weight; the pain in her paw returned and tears began to fall. She fell to the ground, a fall that seemed to take hours. The pain was blinding; she prayed for death, to trade places with her poor friend. Tears poured from her eyes and mixed with the puddles of water from the earlier rain. Regret filled her heart as she remembered all the times he had sacrificed for her and for others. She clenched her eyes shut and clawed the earth in a vain effort to alleviate the hurt, but it didn't help.

She lay there on the soft ground, sobbing her heart out as the hot sun beat down on her back. When she opened her eyes again, it was raining. The sun was gone and she was back under the tree. The change made her pause with confusion. _ Had someone moved her?_ What was going on? She looked to her side to see an older lion watching her with sympathetic eyes.

"Don't worry, dear." He said soothingly. "I'm sure that your friend will be fine. Tulon will be back any minute, just you watch."

She was almost too afraid to hope; _had it all been a dream?_ It had been so vivid! She stared at the older lion quizzically, as if he held the answers she sought.

"Mela!"

She whirled around sharply and her soul froze. "Amari..." she said in a near whisper as she rose to her feet. _It was him_.

Amari broke into a near run after he caught sight of her; his mind flooding with relief as he looked at her. "Are you okay?"

The poor lioness was speechless. "I- _you_... b-but..." she couldn't find the words to express her feelings. All she could do was smile as he approached her with concern in his tired eyes. _He must be so exhausted_, she thought to herself. Yet he still was only concerned about her. It was sweet to say the least, and it put a wide smile on her face.

"Don't _ever_ do that again!" She told him with a tear in her eye as she lunged out at him for the second time that morning.

Amari looked slightly confused, but accepted her embrace willingly. "Don't do _what_?"

"Don't _scare _me like that! I thought you had been _killed_!"

He only smiled as he pulled her tighter. "I'm f_ine_." He assured her, though he looked tentatively at his torn shoulder.

"You are not!" she retorted. "You're lucky that Tulon showed up!"

Amari nodded in agreement, though his expression darkened slightly. "Yea... Urak would have killed me if it wasn't for him."

As if on cue, the king appeared at their side. "Wait Amari, what are you talking abou-"

Amari cut him off quickly. "Oh Tulon! Yea, I was just telling Mela how you saved my life _again_."

"But you-"

"_Thank _you."

The confusion on the king's face was clear, but he didn't press if further. Mela didn't even notice; she was just glad that it was all over. They were finally safe after a night of hell.

Amari shot Tulon a sharp glance, successfully communicating his desire to keep his victory over Urak a secret. He wasn't proud of what he had done over the past hours with all the fighting and killing; he had taken the lives of three living creatures and almost murdered another. He had done it all to save his friend, but still. He had done wrong and who knew what Mela would say if she found out. Maybe she would hate him; maybe she would leave him and return to Priderock _without_ him. He couldn't lose her, he _loved _her. No, he couldn't tell her the truth; the risk was just too great.

"I've got a pair of fighters that are ready to escort you back to Muba's pride." Tulon said suddenly, waking Amari from his introverted thoughts. "They'll take you whenever you are ready."

Mela thanked him appreciatively before turning back to her friend. "We should go. You need someone to look at your shoulder."

He nodded in agreement. "I suppose... but aren't you still tired? You passed out a while ago."

"No, you've done _enough_ for me. We're going _now_."

"But-"

She cut him off quickly, drawing a smile from nearby lions. "It's not up for _discussion_, Amari." She turned back to the king. "Thank you so much, Tulon."

"Yea," Amari added. "We really owe you."

He merely nodded in appreciation. "I only wish that I could have been more help to you and your pride. I'm sorry that you didn't find your hero."

_He was right_, Amari realized. Their time was nearly up and they had no hero to show for their efforts. Leander had turned out to be a villain and left them with no hope. What more was there to do except head back to Priderock with their heads hung lowly?

After they shared a final farewell with Tulon, Mela looked to Amari with a broken expression; she could see the defeat in his eyes. "Come on, Amari... we _tried_."

He snorted irritably. "That's just a nice way to say that we _failed_."

"No, it's not! It means that we tried our best, but it just wasn't meant to be."

Her words comforted him slightly, but it was still only a mere bandage on the wound. "Maybe Leander was right... Maybe there _aren't_ any heroes."

*****Author's Note*****

**I was really hoping to get this chapter out earlier as I got stabbed in the leg on Tuesday and have been pretty much isolated to the computer for the past few days due to the wound. (I wish I could say that I got it from something cooler, but it was an accident at a kung fu class.) But, this chapter was really tough for me to get out for more reason than one. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you comment!**

**-Ben**


	14. Chapter 14: The Return

*****Chapter 14*****

*****The Return*****

Amari felt eyes on him, searching the surface of his body for clues that might lead to the truth. They had left Muba's lands the day before and were just beginning their second day's journey back to Priderock. Up until now Mela hadn't pressed him for any details regarding how he had managed to free her, but now that they were on the road and heading home, he knew that she was just dying to ask. It was sure to come any sec-

"So tell me again how it all happened?" she began slowly, breaking the silence that had characterized the last day and a half.

Amari sighed deeply as he struggled to remember his story. For a moment he considered telling her the truth about how he had killed three non-prey animals to help her, but the idea was quickly thrown from his mind. Mela was a strong, but sensitive lioness and Amari was sure that the truth could _easily _make her hate him.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask about that."

She shrugged. "I didn't want to bother you... I mean after getting beat up and getting treated, you've really been kinda quiet. I didn't think that you wanted to talk."

She was right, but Amari decided to change the subject. "Muba's shaman did a good job." Amari noted as he eyed his bandages.

She eyed him warily, as if sensing his hesitation. "Yea... so what happened?"

"I guess that now _is _as good of a time as any to tell you. After all, we have plenty of time."

Mela was silent as she waited for him to tell the story.

"Ah, okay then..." he began unsurely. Lying had never been his strong point, and now he was relying on it to preserve the friendship that he had sacrificed so much for. "After you were taken by Urak, I ran back and found Leander. I don't really get it, but I guess he got freaked out enough to just leave."

"He just left you?" Mela asked incredulously. "No explanation or _anything_?"

"He said that there was no hope for you and that I should just give up. He didn't want to risk his life."

"What a _jerk_. "

"You have no idea." He replied bitterly at the memory of Xana's pit. Leander hadn't just left him, he had left him to _die_. "But anyways, he told me where Farole's pride was and I headed off alone. That's pretty much it."

She looked at him irritably. "That is _not_ it. How did you get into the area with all the guards on patrol?"

"I was quiet."

"You were _quiet?_"

"Yea."

A vague smile crossed her face. "Sorry, it's just that I have trouble seeing you as being so great at sneaking around, no offence."

"None taken; I'm _not_." he replied darkly, remembering how he had been seen by the two guards on the top of the spire.

"Still, I guess you must have done pretty well. I mean, I know that you did pretty well against that lion that was trying to take our kill a few days ago, but Farole's lions were different."

"Yea..."

"They would have _killed_ you if they had found you."

"Good thing they didn't." he said shortly and then fell to silence.

"Wait, so that's _it_?" Mela blurted after a moment.

Amari blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Where are the details? How did you sneak past everyone? What _happened?"_

"That's it; I snuck around all night until I found you in the termite cave."

"No close calls? Nothing?"

He shrugged. "None that were very interesting. The rain made it easier to stay hidden."

"What about the guard outside the cave? He was unconscious!"

"Ummm... he was asleep when I found him." Amari lied. "I just smacked him against the rock and he was out."

"O-oh... Okay." she said with a strange look in her eye. She clearly knew something was amiss.

"_Really_." Amari insisted. "That's how it happened."

"I believe you..." she replied insincerely as she looked at a strange looking tree not too far away.

Amari looked down at the ground with hesitation, feeling bad for having to lie to her like this. He _loved _her and wanted her to love him; he didn't want to hide any part of him from her, but if he didn't then she would surely disown him completely. He wouldn't be able to handle losing her like that.

After a few moments of quiet, Amari noticed her staring at him with a strange gaze. "I'm not _lying!_" he cried, instantly regretting how defensive he sounded. _If she suspected a lie, he wasn't doing much to dispel her belief._

"Nonono... she replied quickly. "It's not that, just... something else."

"What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, never mind."

He eyed her carefully as she fixed her gaze onto the passing shrubbery with feigned interest. Amari knew something was bothering her, but he was also sure that she would tell him on her own time. "Alright then." he said simply, returning his gaze to the path.

They walked on for hours in the direction of their home; _Priderock_. It felt weird for Amari to think about going home now; it almost felt like his home was out _here_ in the wilderness and on the road. Going home and returning to life with his old family would be strange... strange to sit and stay in one place for a long time.

_But he wouldn't be staying_. The thought seared through his head like a knife; he had nearly forgotten what it meant that he hadn't found help. They would return in just enough time to be driven out of the Pridelands by the brutal gang. As refugees they would have to travel to some unknown destination for help, surely losing many of their sick pride members to the strain of travel. They had failed to find a hero, and because of that their family would suffer.

His realization pestered him for the rest of the day and into the afternoon. They traveled through lush forests and open savanna at a steady rate, occasionally taking breaks when they grew tired. Aside from a few brief conversations here and there, the two companions maintained a harsh wall of silence. Amari was glad for it, he was in no mood to talk. After two months of heavy travel, getting beat up on a regular basis, and losing any chance he had at being with the lioness he loved, he just wanted to feel sorry for himself.

This was his low, to be sure. Even when Urak had nearly killed him after their first encounter or when Mela had told him that they would never be together, he hadn't been this low. Even then there was always the belief and hope that he would succeed in his mission; that he would save Priderock and that maybe he would be _worth_ something to his family. He was tired of being the guy that everyone had to help and supervise, he wanted to _matter_ for once!

He looked over at Mela with a start as he realized that she had been staring at him again. Quickly though, she looked away as if it hadn't happened.

He suppressed an irritated growl and lowered his gaze. His desires didn't matter anymore; he was alone and would stay alone until the day he died. Sure he had Mela, but being _just friends_ with her would always be painful and ultimately leave him feeling more alone than if he had never met her at all. It was clear to him now that the world simply didn't care for him; he was a burden on his friends and family and always would be as long as he stayed around.

"Do you want to stop here?"

Amari looked up from his introverted thoughts and noted with surprise that the sun was sinking into the horizon. They were atop a small hill, really just more of a high bit of land than a hill, that overlooked all of the surrounding savanna. The brilliantly orange sun shined the last of its depressed rays onto the darkening land in a forlorn sense of finality.

"Yea, I guess."

Mela nodded and headed toward a nearby tree, stealing a glance or two back at him with that same strange look. It was almost as if she was trying to understand his deepest thoughts. _He hoped to the kings that she didn't suspect the truth_.

"Today flew by..." she remarked casually, though it was clear to Amari that she was just trying to throw out some small talk. Something, though he didn't know what, was bothering her and preoccupying her thoughts.

"Yea, it seems like we've only been walking for an hour."

She nodded slowly. "It feels weird to be going home... we've been gone for nearly _two _months."

"The gang of rogues will be arriving in less than two days."

She looked away darkly. "We'll be arriving just before they do."

"Yea... We'll have to leave just as soon as we return." With that, Amari laid himself down onto the soft grass not too far away from his friend and looked over at her with sad eyes. "It's been great Mela... but I think we're done."

"Don't talk like that, we'll find a wa-"

"No." he cut her off. "We didn't find the hero and we're returning with empty hands."

"Amari..." she pleaded with him. "Come on, you're better than this."

"I'm facing reality."

"You're my _friend_."

He sighed deeply as he savored that word, _friend. _"Look Mela," he began with a quiet voice. "I'm glad for the time I've spent with you lately, and I really care about you... but let's _face _it, When we get home, you're not going to be the same around me. It will only be a matter of time before we drift apart. You'll go back to your friends and I'll go back to being... to being _me._ We'll both get older, you'll find a mate I'm _sure _and in a few short years you'll have forgotten all about me."

The look on Mela's face was one of pure sadness. "Amari, no..."

"I don't blame you," he said quickly. "But It's just what will happen... It's _okay_."

She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity with the same look of grief on her face as before. The sun had finally set, and the dark land around them seemed to hold the figure of her body in its soft embrace. Her eyes appeared to light up the area with some deeper turmoil behind her deep and silent orbs.

"Amari, I-"

"It's okay Mel-"

"_Shut up,_ Amari." she said with a forcefulness that surprised him. "You had your time to talk, and now it's _my_ time."

He nodded slowly, unsure as to where she was going with this. "A-alright."

She took a deep breath and gazed at him with her focused eyes. "Like you said, we've been through a lot together; I really feel like I've gotten to know you in a way that I don't think that I could have if we had stayed back at Priderock."

She paused for a moment and looked up at the purple sky, clearly deep in thought. Amari didn't speak as he waited patiently for her to continue.

"I told you a long time ago that you weren't the right lion for me to be with, and I meant it."

His heart sank even though he had heard this all before. The words still stung sharply.

"But I don't think that anymore."

Amari shot his head up with a start. _What did she say?_

"Sorry..." she said nervously as she dug her claws into the ground. "This is way more awkward than I thought it would be."

He almost laughed at how uncomfortable she was, it was cute. "No it's not. Keep going."

She nodded and took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't know... I guess that I just started thinking about it all over the past few days after we talked that night at Muba's Pride. I thought that you weren't right for me... but the more I thought about it, the more I started wondering what more I could possibly want in a guy."

Amari just stared at her with a dumbfounded gaze. "What?"

"You aren't the most coordinated or the strongest, but you've shown how much you care about me... and I just sort of realized that I feel the same way."

"You _care _about me?" he asked slowly.

She looked hesitantly at the ground. "I- I think I _love _you."

Amari's heart stopped beating, his vision went blurry, and his mind raced with a thousand thoughts in a single instant. _She loved him?_ He felt lightheaded and dizzy as the thought crashed home.

"I know what I said before, and I wouldn't blame you one bit if you didn't feel the same way anymore... but if there's a chance-"

"_What_?" he exclaimed sharply, rising to his feet. _She_ was asking _him_ if it was _okay _that they could be together?

She stood up as well to meet him eye to eye. "Listen, I get it if you don't feel the sa-"

"No..." he said softly, effectively silencing her with his gentle tone. "Maybe I've been less obvious with my feelings lately, but I've never stopped loving you."

A vague smile crossed her face and Amari felt his own face undergo a similar change. She loved him, he wasn't meaningless. It seemed almost too good to be true, maybe he was dreaming? The vivid beauty of Mela's expression told him that this was no hallucination and that this was indeed reality. No dream was ever this brilliantly amazing.

Amari found himself at a loss for words. "Now what?

She grinned. "Now _this_." With that, she leaned towards him until she was almost touching his muzzle. Amari nearly melted when he felt her press against his cheek in an affectionate nuzzle. He returned the motion with a nuzzle of his own, making her purr softly. A tender lick brushed his cheek, making his knees wobble and his body fall to the ground with a heavy thud.

Mela giggled as she looked down at her fallen love, making him blush furiously.

"Oh _relax_." She whispered as she laid down next to him. "I won't hold that against you."

Amari smiled broadly at Mela and leaned forward to kiss her again.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))**

Many miles away and under the cover of a great stone monument, a lone king stood at the edge of the great stone's lip overlooking the land that he was so fearful to lose. It had taken all of his strength to bring himself to this place, but now Simba was just at a loss for what to do. The sun had already set and the stars were beginning to shine their brilliant light down onto the Pridelands.

"What am I to do, father?" He asked the silent stars. "I sent Amari and Mela to find help, but they haven't returned and many are beginning to fear that they won't come back at all."

The golden lion hung his head lowly in defeat. "The rogues are coming in hardly more than two days, and I'm still too sick to do anything. All of our best fighters have fallen ill as well... we won't be able to fend them off."

"Simba?" A soft voice called from behind him.

"Nala?" He asked with shock as his queen came to stand next to him in the cool night air. "You should be resting back in the cave!"

"So should you." She retorted through heavy breaths from the exhausting climb.

"Fair enough."

She smirked at how easily he accepted her presence. "What are you doing out here?"

"Talking to my father."

Nala nodded undestandingly; she knew how spiritual he mate had become after returning to take his place as king. "I take it that they haven't answered?"

He shook his head. "No, I just can't hear them."

The young queen leaned up against her mate gently in a kind gesture of assurance. "We'll figure this out Simba... we can do this."

"But how, Nala? Nearly all of the pride has fallen sick; the only healthy ones have their hands full with thud rest and are in no condition to fight. There isn't a lion among us who isn't sleep deprived, overworked, and malnourished. Frankly, the healthy ones are in almost worse shape than the sick!"

"I know it looks bad, but things will work out. Have faith."

He frowned darkly. "I've run the scenarios out in my head a thousand times. No matter what we do, we will all die."

"Amari and Mela might still return with help." She offered hopefully.

"If they haven't found help yet, then I hope they have the good sense to stay far away from here. There's no reason why they should have to die as well."

**(((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))**

The sunrise the next morning was a beautiful thing for Amari. The golden light shone down on him like warm water, cleansing his soul and spirit. He watched the phenomenon from where he lay with Mela, her sleeping body laying up against his chest. Her breathing was rhythmic and soothing, peacefully reminding the lion that she cared for him and that she would always be there.

"Good morning." She whispered softly into his ear.

"It is." Amari replied happily, licking her cheek affectionately.

The two lovers lay there for some time, each taking great pleasure in the other's presence. Soon though, they had to rise and meet the day. Amari hoped that they would arrive at Priderock that night if they hurried, and the two agreed quickly that they wouldn't stop that night until they were home with their friends and family.

For Amari, the walk was far more pleasant than before. The colors of the path were brighter, the air fresher, and his breath more exhilarating. Mela leaned on him gently in a simple reminder that she was still there. They talked occasionally, but generally they allowed a comforting silence to fill them. It wasn't the usual empty kind of quiet, but rather one that was caused by sheer understanding. All Mela had to do was nudge Amari and gesture to a distant tree, and her love would know instantly what she meant about it. They shared a bond of pure synchronicity that he had never felt before; when they had reached that point, he didn't remember, but it felt so right.

"I don't want this to be over, Amari." she said after a long while.

"Me neither. I just want to keep walking forever with you."

"That's _sweet_."

He nodded, sensing her radiant smile on his cheek. "Do you think that maybe Tulon could help us?"

"He already said no."

"I mean that maybe he could give us a place to stay when we leave Priderock." he explained in a near whisper.

Mela stared at him somberly, clearly feeling sorry for her love's bleak attitude. "I don't know... I kind of doubt it."

"What can we do then?"

Mela sighed deeply before nuzzling into his neck. "Stop worrying, Amari. You've already sacrificed more than enough for our family."

"I can do more."

She licked his cheek softly, granting him a moment of bliss.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you..."

She nearly laughed at his statement, making the lion blink in surprise. "Amari, I don't need a hero."

"Yes we do-"

"No." she insisted strongly. "_I_ don't need a hero because _I _have _you_."

Amari was silent for a moment as he stared into her eyes. "What?"

He watched her eyes roll with mock irritation. "_You_ are my hero. I don't need some self righteous jerk like Leander to be there for me, because I've got _you_."

"Me? But I-"

"Face it, you're a way better lion than he ever was.n

Amari snorted at the thought. "Thanks, Mela... but I'm no hero. What would the stories be of me? All my life has been is just a series of embarrassing failures. What kind of sick and twisted person would _tell_ a story like mine, and what kind of sadistic creeps would find it _amusing?_"

Mela only smiled as he ranted. "You didn't fail when you got me out of Farole's jail." she said in a near whisper.

Her words silenced him for a moment.

She took a deep breath as she kicked away a small stone in the path. "I know that I already said this... but I'm really glad that Farole's guards didn't catch you."

A sharp pang of guilt stabbed Amari's heart at the sound of her words. Memories of rain and blood filled his mind; the angered roars of Farole's lions crashing in sync with the roll of thunder. He recalled how he had watched his opponent fall backward over the ledge and died onto the rocks below. He hated that he had lied to Mela... but she surely would have left him if he had told the truth. Still, the lies made him squirm hopelessly as she leaned against him.

"Yea... me too." He replied through grit teeth.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. "I was trying to relax you, but you seem tenser than ever."

"Sorry." he said shortly. "I'm just... nervous."

"Please, Amari." Mela begged him. "Try to relax, there's nothing you can do about anything now. I can't stand to see you like this."

Amari forced a grin to his face for her sake. "Okay... I'll try."

She smiled at him, clearly pleased. "

"It's just... I don't know." He said slowly. "I thought that between Tulon and Muba there would be _someone _out there to help us."

Mela blinked suddenly. "That just reminded me of something... when we were getting ready to leave Muba's pride, you went to go talk to Tulon and Muba. Why?"

Amari frowned in confusion. "Why did I talk to them?"

She nodded. "Yea, what did you tell them?"

"I just wanted to thank them is all." He lied through his emotional mask that he seemed to be using too often. "Even if they didn't give us a hero, they helped us a lot more than they had to."

"Didn't we already thank them?"

He shrugged, a hardly perceptible smirk crossing his mouth. "I felt like I should do it again."

**(((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))**

Leander padded casually across the Savanna towards a familiar pride. After a few days of lying low in the nearby highlands, he figured it was about time to head back and weave some new story about saving some defenseless cheetah cub or something. He didn't have all the details worked out, but he knew that the story would show how tender he was towards other species. If he pulled it off right, maybe he would even have some fun with some of Muba's lionesses; they just _loved_ how courageous he was.

He walked along, nearing the pride in a short while with the enticing thoughts of events to come still on his mind. Thanks to the pair of Pridelanders from a few days before, he had been placed far ahead of schedule. Xana was fed for the time being and now all he had to do was hang out for a while. The whole idea of going to help the two younger lions had surely earned him some credit, even if he ended up not going. He shrugged to himself; he would just blame that Amari guy. Say he got angry over nothing and just ran off with his little girlfriend; it was believable enough, no one really knew them that well anyways.

He made his way into the Pride that he had entered so many times before, and the first thing that he noticed was that there were a lot more lions than usual. _Maybe another pride was visiting?_

He continued through the lions in search of Muba so he could announce his return, but everyone just kept giving him strange looks wherever he went. even the lionesses that normally swooned over him glared at him with a strange tone.

At long last, he caught sight of his friend atop a small boulder not too far away. "Muba!" he called, eager to figure out what was going on. He hoped that it wouldn't interfere with his plans to win some hearts.

The king turned to face the false hero and gave a toothy smile. "Ah, Leander... I was hoping that you would show up soon. We've been waiting for you."

Though it was a rather unusual thing to say, Leander didn't think anything of it as he approached the King and the lions that surrounded him. "Why were you waiting for me?" he asked with confusion.

Muba shrugged. "Well since you left with Amari and Mela, there have been some interesting developments."

He stopped a few feet in front of the king, eager to hear the new gossip. Maybe he could play this too his advantage. "Do tell."

"Well," explained Muba. "It turned out that Farole was planning to attack us all and take the surrounding prides as his own. We took the initiative and managed to take him down without many casualties."

"Well that's good." Leander said with as much heroism as he could. "You know how I detest violence."

A strange look crossed Muba's face. "That's odd, because someone told us some stuff about you that seems to indicate something else."

_Someone was questioning his character?_ "Who?" he asked sharply.

"_Amari._"

Leander's blood froze. "Amari's dea-"

"Dead?" Muba asked with an icy stare. "Yes, he told us about your trap as well."

The false hero felt his heart begin to race as panic set in. _No! Amari was dead, he couldn't possibly have survived!_

"I was surprised myself," Muba said casually. "That snake was pretty huge when we found it, yet he somehow managed to kill it."

_Xana was dead?_

"Then he fought his way through Farole's Pride, broke his friend out of prison, and nearly killed Urak before Tulon showed up." He continued, gesturing to the foreign king at his side.

"Amari?" Leander gasped in shock. _The little whelp of a lion?_

"Yes, Amari." Muba replied. "Now if you don't mind, we were just about to begin the trials of Farole and a few of his officers. If you will simply follow the guards, they'll lead you to somewhere where you can wait while we get to _your _trial."

_"My_ trial?" Leander roared. "I am the _mighty _and _her_"

"You're a murderer and a liar." Muba hissed with an unprecedented rage. "You _will _be judged as such."

The former idol stared in shock at the king, horrified at his words. _How had it come to this? How had he been caught?_

"Let's go." a nearby lion said with a sneer, eyeing his fellow guards with a smirk. "Come with us."

*****Author's Note*****

So sorry that it's so late again. Please review!

-Ben


	15. Chapter 15: Truth

*****Chapter 15*****

*****Truth *****

He felt Mela rub up against him affectionately, purring as she went. Amari pushed back gently in response to her motion while still walking across the endless savanna. The pair of young lovers walked blissfully towards their nearing home, sharing the dark awareness of the threat that awaited them when they arrived.

"Everyone will be talking when we get back." Mela said amusedly.

"About us?"

She grinned. "You know how all the older lionesses are."

Amari shook his head. "Somehow I think they'll all be a little more preoccupied with the imminent danger at hand."

"Trust me Amari, no force on heaven or earth can stop old lionesses from gossiping, especially when it's about romance."

He smiled. "I guess you're right. They _will _talk."

"You don't mind do you?" She asked warily.

"What? Of course not."

She nuzzled him affectionately. "Good. Because I don't either."

Amari returned the motion gladly, but a sickening feeling hung in his gut from a thought that he had been trying to bury. He had lied to her, and it was slowly eating him from the inside out. He had always thought that lies had no place in a relationship, but here he was, lying to keep her in the dark.

He loved her with all his heart, and she supposedly loved him, but how could he expect her affection to be true unless she really knew him? But if she knew him, would she still love him, or would she repel him like the murderer that he knew himself to be? He hated the situation he was in, but had no one to blame but himself. _He _had killed Farole's guards, _he _had killed Xana, and _he_ had lied to Mela so she wouldn't know.

He swore silently, torn between two choices. To tell Mela the truth would be to risk losing her and to throw away everything he had worked so hard for, but to keep lying would only leave him half-happy; without the truth, her love was artificial at best. Still, the prospect of returning to the dark loneliness of before was not something he wanted to do. _No_, he decided finally, _he wouldn't tell her_. Even if it was artificial, it was still something and he planned on keeping it close to him at all costs.

"Amari, look."

Mela's voice woke him from his contemplations and drew his attention to the horizon. _Priderock_.

"We're almost home." she remarked quietly.

He snorted with vague amusement. "It's still there."

"Well _duh_ it's still there! It's a giant _rock_."

Amari grinned and just shrugged. "It just seemed like everything would be different when we got back. It's nice to see that some things don't change."

Mela frowned. "Let's hope that the only change that occurred was that everyone got better."

"Somehow I don't think they did." he replied darkly.

She nodded, but stayed silent for a few moments, the negative thoughts finding their mark in her mind. "Let's hurry up... we can't be more than a few hours from the border." with that, she started off at a brisk pace toward the great stone that they knew to be their home.

Amari stayed where he was standing and continued to stare at Priderock. _There it was... his home_. Instead of taking comfort and joy at the familiar sight, all he felt was despair. It was as if all of his failure and ineptitude had taken a physical shape, and that shape was his home. How could he face them? They had been gone for nearly two months, and had nothing but weary eyes and healed scars to show for all their effort. He was _pathetic..._ _a pathetic failure who didn't deserve to even be trea-"_

"Are you coming, Amari?"

He blinked out of his trance and looked to her. "Oh... Uh, yea. I'm coming."

She gave him a strange look, but didn't press him further while he caught up to her.

**(((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))**

"Sire!" the blue bird cried as he swooped in through the hole in the tan-colored stone roof. "Sire!" He cried again.

The golden lion groaned something unintelligible before rolling onto his side to face his majordomo in the dimly lit cave. "What is it, Zazu? Is it the rogues?"

"Um, I don't think so." Zazu replied sheepishly, clearly a bit embarrassed for worrying the king as he did. "From what I was told, it was a pair of younger lions nearing the eastern border. Perhaps-"

"Amari and Mela..." Simba finished the thought for him.

"Yes sire; it appears to be them."

Simba nodded, his thoughts clouded and bewildered with the fever. Nonetheless, he managed to sort his ideas out. "You said there were only two... so they are alone."

"Yes sire, but-"

"So they probably didn't find that hero." he said forlornly as he rolled back onto his back to stare up at the rocky ceiling.

"It seems unlikely."

The poor king inhaled deeply, instantly causing him to sputter out in a fury of coughs and gags. By the time he had recovered from the fit, he was exhausted. "What am I to do, Zazu?" he asked.

The majordomo only stared at the broken patriarch with sad eyes. He had no idea what the Simba should do, he was only an _advisor_! Sure kings asked him things on a regular basis, but usually only regarding things like herd statistics or water levels. This was completely out of his league. "I... I don't know, Simba. I'm sorry."

The great lion nodded slowly. "I know, Zazu. Neither do _I_." The pain on his face was clear. "I returned to be the king that my father thought I could be... but I failed, Zazu. I've let everyone down, and soon their _blood_ will be on my hands."

"Sire!" Zazu retorted adamantly, shocked by the admission. "Now is _not_ the time to give _up_! Not when the entire Pridelands are at risk!"

"There's nothing more to do... the rogues won't negotiate or compromise and the Pride is far too sick to move. Even if we had all the healthy lionesses attack the gang at once, they would _still_ be horribly outnumbered and outmatched."

"Sire, that may be true, but perhaps there is some untapped resource that we haven't thought of?"

"If you have something in mind, I'd love to hear it."

Zazu was silent for a moment as he thought it over. "No... I have no idea"

Simba nodded in understanding. "I know... we're waiting on the nonexistent _hero_ to save all our lives. I don't think that this is a wonderful plan."

**(((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Mela was talking, but Amari was hardly listening; he _wanted_ to, but his mind was preoccupied to say the least. Between the lies he had told Mela and the very present threat of being forced to leave Priderock as soon as he came home, he had found himself at the pinnacle of stress. He felt as though he was ready to burst under the pressure of it all, his mind detonating from the explosive primer of the conditions at hand.

Though he wasn't listening too intently, he picked up the occasional word or two. Something about how she was worried about Nala's new cub, Kiara and how she hoped that the sickness hadn't gone to another species.

God he loved her; he was only staring at the mouth move and it was making him feel so much better. Just knowing that she was _there _was enough to calm his boiling brain and relax his tense muscles. Still, certain words that she said every now and then just made his nerves flare with the sharp pang of guilt and remorse.

"I'm sure that Kiara's doing alright with the older lionesses, but I'm sure Simba and Nala must be a little nervous with it all. Then again, they do _trust_ them a lot."

Trust; he had taken advantage of it.

"I mean you can see how much they love her; it's in their eyes.

Love, he had betrayed it.

She was silent for a while before finally spoke again. "I always hoped that I would someday find a lion that I loved as much as Nala loves Simba... but I never actually thought that I would. It seemed too impossible." She looked at Amari with tender eyes. "I never figured that I would find that lion in you, Amari. I love you."

He understood; his offenses against her were far more dire than he had understood before. To lie and deceive the girl he loved was not just bad for a relationship, it was the single most damaging thing to have remotely near a relationship. He loved her with all his heart, but the knowledge of his lies was too much to bear. He couldn't love her like he should unless he knew that she truly loved him for what he really was on the inside, a murderer. Of course he wanted her affection, but what was the point when it was merely artificial?

He stopped in his tracks, unable to move another inch without speaking the truth.

"Amari?" Mela asked with concern on her beautiful face. "What is it?"

"I need to tell you something..."

She nodded as though she understood and sat down next to him. "Alright... what is it?"

He tried to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. "Sorry... this is tough." He explained.

"It's okay." She replied sympathetically. "I love yo-"

"Stop it!" He cried suddenly, pulling away from her sharply. He simply couldn't take the guilt that her affection caused..

She looked horribly confused. "I'm sorry... Please, just tell me what's bothering you."

Amari inhaled fully before speaking. "It isn't your fault, Mela...I'm sorry that I snapped."

"What is it then?"

"It's me... You don't love me."

His words shocked her. "What are you talking about? Of course I lo-"

"No!' He cut her off. "You can't love me because you don't know me!"

"I do _too _know you!" Mela replied hotly. "I know you better than anyone else!"

Amari shook his head sadly as he stared at the ground. "No... I'm not the kind of lion that you think I am; I'm a _murderer_."

Mela was silent and only stared at him with a confused glare. "What are you talking about, Amari?"

He sighed deeply, desperately wishing that he could put it in a nicer way. "I lied about Farole's guards... they _did_ see me while I was trying to find you."

"What are you saying?"

"I _KILLED _THEM!" Amari shouted with an intensity that reflected his pain.

Mela must have been shocked, because she didn't say anything.

"They saw me and I _killed_ them, Mela." Amari repeated in a softer tone. "If it weren't for Tulon, I might have killed Urak too."

"Wait, what?" Mela asked with confusion. "Tulon said that Urak-"

"I asked him to lie for me." the somber lion explained. "I'm sorry..."

Mela stared at him incredulously. "You're telling me that instead of _sneaking _through Farole's Pride, you _fought_ your way to me?"

"It was a little of both really." he replied quietly. "It was only the first two that I killed. Besides the guard outside your cave and Urak, I didn't fight anyone else."

She nodded slowly as she contemplated what he was telling her. "Amari, I've seen you fight before, and I can't really see you being able to-"

"I don't know _how,_ Mela, but I did. I killed two lions who didn't need to die and would have done it again if it weren't for Tulon. Like I said before... I'm a _murderer."_

Mela frowned. "What would they have done if you hadn't fought back?"

He shrugged. "I don't know... probably either kill me or take me to Farole who would have killed me."

"That's more of self defense than murder." she said softly as she inched toward his side. "What else could you have done?"

Amari blinked in surprise as he felt her brush up against him softly. _Was she comforting him? After he had told her the truth? But he was a killer! _"I don't know... but there must have been something."

"There wasn't."

_This was wrong, he had killed!_ "Mela, I _killed_ two lions because they were in my way. Doesn't that _bother_ you?"

She lowered her gaze slightly. "A little, but not that much."

"You're _alright_ with it?"

"Only because I know you and love you."

He stared at her incredulously. _"What?_"

She smiled softly and pressed against him gently. "I can tell that you really didn't want to kill them. If you had said that you were glad they were dead and wanted to kill _more_ guards, then I would have been bothered. The fact that you're sorry fits exactly who you are."

"So... you don't hate me?"

She nuzzled him affectionately. "I love you Amari, and I'm sorry that you were forced to kill in order to save me. Maybe if Leander hadn't been such a coward you wouldn't have had to."

Amari snorted with a mix of disgust and amusement. "Since we're already talking about that night, you should probably know that I lied about Leander too."

"What?"

"He tried to feed me to the snake from his story."

Mela was clearly shocked once more. "The one he killed?"

"Yea, but he really only moved it. He didn't want me to tell anyone about how he wouldn't help."

"So he tried to _feed_ you to it? How did you get away?"

"Her name was Xana, and I killed her too." he explained darkly.

"Let me get this straight," Mela began after taking a deep breath. "Leander tried to kill you and you killed the snake."

"Xana."

she nodded. "Right. Then you went to Farole's pride and killed two guards to get to me and beat Urak while we escaped."

"Right."

"WHERE WAS I WHEN ALL THIS HAPPENED?" she yelled loudly.

"In Farole's jail-cave thing." Amari replied simply.

She stopped. "Oh... right. I forgot."

Amari chuckled slightly as he watched her fidget with embarrassment from her outburst. "So do you forgive me?" he asked after a moment of silence.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm a little annoyed that you didn't tell me about all this until now, but I think I get it."

"I was afraid..." Amari said softly. "I thought you would hate me for it."

Mela giggled softly as she leaned towards him. "I don't hate you, Amari. In fact, I kind of _like_ you."

Amari grinned and licked her cheek. "Really?"

She shrugged. "A _little _I guess."

The two lovers sat there for some time in the light of the afternoon sun that beat down on the Pridelands. Though they were completely content in each other's embrace, they knew that they eventually would have to move on. Priderock still hung on the not-so distant horizon and loomed over them as if to represent the danger that still faced them. In only a short while, their home would be attacked while it was at its weakest.

Eventually, they continued along though they wanted nothing more than to forget their worries in each other's company. The two travelers were home, though they were without the hero that they had set out to find. It didn't matter anymore, and they knew it. It was time to face their fears. Thankfully, it was a task that could be done _together_.

*****Author's Note*****

**Well, I'm wrapping up as you can see. Maybe two (three at the most) chapters left before this story, as well as my career here is done. Hope you liked this chapter enough to comment, thanks and goodnight.**

**-Ben**


	16. Chapter 16: Shujaa ni kupatikana

*****Chapter 16*****

*********Shujaa ni kupatikana*********

"Amari?" A quiet voice broke the placid water of silence.

"Yea?" Amari replied after a moment.

Mela sighed deeply. "It just kind of hit me... how we failed."

"How everyone is going to die because we couldn't find help?"

She nodded slowly. "It all just seemed kind of unreal up until now. Like we were going to get home and everything would just work out somehow."

"But it _won't_." He stated numbly, effectively finishing her thought for her. The sight of Priderock was clear through the trees that sheltered them slightly from the hot African sun. The great monument was close, hardly an hour away from their current position.

"No..." she agreed. "It won't"

Amari sighed deeply. "Before Leander left me to Xana, he told me something."

"What?"

"He said that there are no heroes."

Mela frowned, but remained silent while she thought over the statement.

"He was _right_." Amari concluded. "It's not through lack of effort that we didn't find anyone to help, it was because there simply _aren't_ any heroes. We were looking for something that didn't exist."

"I don't know..." she replied slowly. "Leander was a jerk; don't take his word as the truth. What about Rafiki's prophecy thing?"

"What about it?" he spat bitterly. "It's a vague legend written by some dead shaman who probably just liked messing with people."

"Oh come on, stop being so bitter!" she said, playfully nudging him.

Amari grinned slightly, but was unable to fully cheer up. "Sorry, it's just..."

She nodded, nuzzling him softly. "I know. It's hard."

He was quiet for some time, taking in her affection as much as he could, but it did little to comfort him. They were nearly home, nearly time to face their family that they had failed. How could he _not_ be upset?

"Amari?" Mela asked slowly, as if a thought had just formed in her mind.

"Yea?"

"What if _we_ could do something?"

"What do you mean?" he asked hesitantly.

She looked at him with serious eyes. "This may sound really crazy and out of nowhere, but what if _you_ fought the rogues?"

He stared at her with little amusement. "I'm not really in the mood for jokes, Mela."

"I'm serious!" she insisted adamantly. "You got me out of Farole's jail, you fought Urak, why couldn't you fight this gang?"

Amari was quiet for a moment as he thought about how he could explain it to her. "This is different than all that."

"How?"

"I got you out though _luck _mixed with surprise. It wasn't like I _fought_ my way to you, I spent most of the time _hiding_ in the shadows hoping that the guards wouldn't see me. When I fought anyone, it was when they weren't expecting it and I had the element of surprise. Plus, I only fought them one at a time, not all at once."

Mela frowned. "So you won't do it?"

"It wouldn't be any use, it would only make _me _dead, and _them _angrier."

"I guess so..." she agreed reluctantly. "I just wish that we could do _something_."

"Me too." Amari replied forlornly. "_Me too_." With that, he leaned into her side, feeling her heartbeat against his body. She pressed back, and for a moment the two young lovers found a moment of pure bliss, a moment where none of their problems mattered and all they needed was each other. Gone were their worries, gone was their fatigue, and gone was their melancholy. In the embrace of each other, they found protection from the harsh world that they had come to know through their journey.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Simba forced himself to move, at least to the mouth of the cave to meet the returning Pridelanders when they arrived. He knew that they weren't due for a while yet, but he wanted to give himself plenty of time; it took him nearly _twenty _minutes to move the twenty yards that separated his sleeping spot from his observation place. Still, he arrived in plenty of time and laid down to catch his breath from the arduous walk. Nala was a few yards away, asleep in the afternoon sun. She had spent the entire night vomiting violently just as he had two nights before, and now she was paying off her sleep debt.

The king looked out at the Pridelands as it was bathed in the orange light of the afternoon sun; the herds grazing in the distant fields on the edge of the horizon. The glittering water of the nearby river shining its vibrant rays onto the surrounding savanna. This was his father's land, this was _his_ land, and it was all soon to be lost. He was certain that Amari and Mela hadn't found anyone, otherwise Zazu would have seen a third lion with them. They were alone, and so was Priderock.

"Hello sire." a familiar feminine voice came from his side.

"Oh, hello Keela." Simba said as the old lioness approached him slowly. "How is everyone?"

She shrugged. "They're alright for now, but when they all wake up we'll have our hands full."

He nodded understandingly; in the past weeks many of the lions that had been caring for the sick had fallen to the disease and joined their suffering comrades. With less helpers and more sick, the burden increased dramatically, putting a severe strain on those that had either maintained their health or who had recovered in time to join the caregivers.

"You look tired." Simba noted. "It's admirable how hard you're working."

She smiled softly. "Thank you. I heard about Amari and Mela."

He nodded. "They should be arriving soon."

"Alone."

"Yes," he admitted. "They're alone."

Keela sighed deeply. "It was a long shot, sending them out for help. I feel like I shouldn't be as disappointed as I am."

Simba suppressed a look of surprise. "Really? It always seemed like you doubted Amari."

She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe I did. He was never very good at much; I was just sort of hoping that he would finally succeed at something. But I guess that I was setting myself up to be disappointed."

"I'm just glad to see them both back in one piece." Simba replied. "After they left, I felt like I had sent them off to their _death_; the wilderness is a dangerous place, especially for someone like Amari. Do you remember how he fell down the path over there nearly every day?"

Keela chuckled slightly. "He always tried to hide it, but the dust in his fur gave it away every time. I felt bad for him."

"But not bad enough to cut him some slack when he worked." Simba said with a smirk."

"Of course not." Keela replied. "I liked the kid, but we needed to get our work _done_. Besides, the challenge was good for him."

The king nodded in agreement as he spotted two figures approaching them from the savanna. "There they are now." he stated mildly.

Keela looked up at the approaching lions, still too far away to see very clearly.

The two observers watched in silence as the long gone travelers finally returned home at long last. Simba looked at Mela as she approached. He noted how she seemed older, while still retaining her same look that he remembered. Her coat was a little dirty and her legs seemed to weigh her down, but she hadn't changed too much otherwise. She smiled her familiar smile when she caught sight of the king, clearly pleased to be home.

Then there was her companion, the lion next to her. Simba blinked for a moment, surprised at the sight. _Amari?_ The young lion that they remembered was hardly visible in the nearing traveler. He seemed leaner, stronger even with a walk that seemed to radiate resilience rather than the weary crawl that Simba remembered from him. Still, by far the most noticeable difference was Amari's face itself. His eyes were focused and held a tone that Simba didn't recognize from the young and slightly naive young lion that had left Priderock. _He wasn't a young lion at all!_ Simba realized suddenly. _He was an adult._

The two travelers came to stand in front of the king and Keela. Nala stirred a few yards away, beginning to wake from her restful sleep.

"Hello, Simba." Mela began. "W-we didn't find anyone."

He nodded understandingly. "I know, it's alright. It's good to see you both alright."

Amari looked around at the nearly empty land, completely void of other lions. "I take it that everyone is still sick?"

"Either that, or they're busy caring for them." Keela replied.

"Amari, Mela!" Nala cried as she rose from her sleep and staggered over to them despite her sickness. "We were getting worried!"

Their eyes widened as they were pulled into the Queen's tight embrace. They hadn't thought that they had been missed that much, but clearly Nala had been quite worried.

"Uh, yea..." Amari said unsurely. "We tried to look for as long as we could before we came back. We ran out of time."

Simba must have sensed the regret in Amari's voice, because he quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. "You two look exhausted, why don't you go get some rest."

Mela looked uncertain. "Are you sure you don't want some help with the sick?"

"It's all under control," Keela assured her. "At least for now. We'll need help in the morning though."

Amari frowned. "What's in the morning?"

"The rogues are coming." Simba replied darkly. "They'll be here at dawn."

"What are we going to do?" Mela asked worriedly.

Nala shook her head sullenly. "There's little that we _can_ do. Unless we can somehow appeal to their better nature, they will force us out."

"But what about all the sick?" Amari asked, though he knew the answer.

A dark silence hung in the air, seeming to answer the question by itself. They all knew that the rogues would have little sympathy for any of the invalids, and would at _best_ force them into the wilderness with the healthy. Alone and exhausted in unknown territory, they would surely succumb to the elements in a matter of hours, maybe a day at best.

"We'll deal with that when the time comes." Simba said finally with a somber tone. "Now, you two need to get some rest."

Mela nodded slowly before turning to Amari. "Alright... are you going to come too?"

"Yea, I-"

"Actually," Simba interjected quickly. "Could I get a quick word with you Amari?"

The younger lion nodded slowly, put off slightly by the request. _What could Simba possibly want from him?_ "Ummm, yea." He turned back to Mela. "I guess I'll be up there in a minute then." With that, he leaned into her to give her a quick lick on her cheek, drawing a smile from her and raising a few nearby eyebrows.

She smiled softly as she headed off on her own, stealing a glance or two back at him before she disappeared behind a large rock.

"Well..." Nala said after a long silence. "It looks like _you_ two had a fun trip."

Keela chuckled quietly, making Amari blush silently. "It only happened a few days ago."

_"Sure_ it did." Keela remarked sarcastically with a wide grin.

"It _did!_" he insisted desperately.

"Alright, alright. We've given him enough grief." Simba said finally. "Would you come with me, Amari?"

He nodded with a relieved expression and approached the king, helping the sickly lion to his feet as Keela trotted off to check on the ill and Nala returned to her resting spot.

The two lions walked back into the confines of Priderock's larger cave, Simba resting heavily on Amari's body. It was an arduous task for the smaller lion to support the great king's larger frame, but still he managed to make it the short distance to the king's usual resting spot.

"Thank you." Simba said with a grunt as he laid himself down onto the stone floor with a dull thud. "That little trip is quite difficult for me." He broke out into a fit of coughs that left him wheezing. "Don't ever take your health for granted, Amari. It's what makes or breaks a lion."

He suppressed a light chuckle. "I'd like to think that there's more to life than just being healthy, sire."

Simba rolled his eyes. "Says the _young_ and _healthy_ traveler. Besides, you know what I meant."

"Yes, I do." Amari admitted sheepishly, slightly nervous about having been called in to speak with the king in private. "What did you want to talk with me about?" he asked politely, hoping that he didn't sound as afraid as he was. _Was he about to get a verbal beating for having failed?_

To his surprise, Simba let out a sincere laugh. "I've got to say, you have gotten a lot more _articulate_ since you've been gone, Amari."

He shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, slightly confused by the observation. _Was it really that different?_ "I've had to talk with a lot of kings."

"I'll bet." he replied with a slight rasp. "To answer your question, I just wanted to talk about your trip. What happened?"

Amari's mind was flooded with relief. "Umm, sure... There's not much to tell though."

"You mean to tell me that you've been gone for two months traveling into distant lands, and _nothing_ interesting happened?"

Amari shrugged. "I got beat up a lot."

Simba's eyes widened slightly. "That's where all the scars came from?"

He looked down at his body, slightly surprised to see the numerous marks from the journey. "Some of them, the rest were from my own stupidity."

"I know the feeling." the king replied with a smirk. "I wasn't the most graceful cub out there when I was younger. _Lots_ of lessons learned."

"Yea," Amari agreed. "I learned a lot out there. Met some great lions too."

"But none that would help."

"No."

"It was to be expected, I suppose." The king said bitterly. "There are just too many unknowns for a king to send out his followers."

"Still." Amari replied. "I just can't believe that out of all the prides we visited, not _one_ lion rose to help us."

Simba nodded in agreement. "Heroes are rare, and are even rarer in the wilderness."

"So I've noticed." came Amari's distant reply.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

The night soon fell, and all of Priderock seemed to fall with it. Amari found Mela in a nearby cave that overlooked the surrounding lands like a natural observation post. The distraught lion stared out at the barren moonlit lands for what seemed like hours, unable to think of anything but the coming morning. It was only a matter of hours before the rogues would arrive, and he dreaded the moment. He hated the waiting over everything else; it was like being in Xana's pit all over again, except that this enemy was far more dangerous this time. After a long while, he turned to the lioness that he loved so deeply and found himself unable to stop himself from wondering if she would be alright. She was fast asleep but still pushed against his body when he laid down next to her, subconsciously showing her affection. It was her, and her alone that gave him enough comfort to find the peace to sleep. When his mind was full of worried thoughts, it was her rhythmic breath that cleared his thoughts and made way for the much needed sleep in the darkness that surrounded them.

However, even his peaceful sleep was short lived. Nightmares and stressed worries plagued the Pridelander's subconscious, making him toss and turn violently. _Death, despair, loss, suffering_. The dark thoughts saturated his soul, making him tremble in fear. He awoke in a cold sweat, fearfully scanning the cave for any enemy rogues. Once he realized that his latest dream was just that, he allowed himself to breathe. His lungs rasped in air in ragged bursts, uncontrollable from his anxiety.

He looked to Mela, relieved to see that he hadn't woken her. He rose silently from the cold stone floor and walked out of the shallow cave to look out at the savanna once more. Judging by the position of the moon, he figured that dawn was only a few hours away at most. An ominous feeling hung over Priderock and Amari was nearly certain that few of its inhabitants were actually asleep; the fear was just too great.

_Death, despair, loss, suffering_. Though he was fully awake now, the dark thoughts still penetrated his skull and infected his thoughts. A deep feeling settled in his stomach with a sincerity that he had never felt before. _Death was imminent_. Not his of course, but of his family. Even when he had faced Xana of Urak, he hadn't felt this strongly about death. _It's my imagination!_ he screamed in his mind, though the feeling persisted. It was almost as if his mind had no control over it, like it less a part of him and more of the world around him.

With a huff of irritation, Amari started walking, stealing a glance back at Mela to ensure that she was still asleep. He made his way down the slope of Priderock, a route he remembered taking countless times before. He passed familiar trees and rocks lit up by the moonlight, casting eerie shadows across the gray stone. He walked at a steady pace down the slope, trying in vain to expel his anxiety through exertion. After a moment, Amari stopped, surprised by a sudden realization. He turned around slowly and analyzed the path he had just descended. It was familiar, and his mind was instantly filled with memories of trekking down it many times before, or rather _falling_ down it. The hill that had caused him to stumble countless times before had passed under his feet as if it were nothing. In fact, the hill itself seemed to be insignificant, like merely a small feature of his larger home.

_Strange_, he thought to himself. _Maybe he had changed more than he had thought._

After a few moments of deliberation, the familiar feeling of dread returned to his mind and Amari continued down the path toward the base of the great stone. He passed multiple caves as he went, each filled with the sickly Pridelanders who had abandoned their more secluded caves in order to be closer to their care givers.

He had expected to hear the low and rhythmic breaths of his pride mates, but the caves were silent. No one was breathing the usual sighs of sleep, because everyone was still awake. Even those who were exhausted from the sickness were unable to overcome the sheer anxiety of the coming morning.

Amari stopped at one cave in particular, catching sight of a young cub in the arms of an older and very well known lioness. The little Kiara whimpered as she huddled under the protection of the old lioness.

Sarabi looked up at Amari with soft eyes that seemed to greet him wothout any enthusiasm. It was a look of acknowledgment and perhaps a little sympathy, one that spoke deeply to Amari.

Next to Kiara lay another cub who wasn't asleep either. But instead of whimpering like his friend, Tanai just stared out into the darkness with a heartbreaking stare.

Amari only felt pure sorrow for the two cubs; each had been very close to Kopa before his death, and his passing had seemed to take a part of them with him. They had been through so much and experienced so many hardships; it just seemed so cruel to see them now, waiting in anguish for the morning to come and for their lives to be uprooted and their family destroyed.

"Trying to take your mind off of de future?" A familar voice asked from behind him.

Amari turned sharply to see Rafiki on a nearby stone, simply watching him with an expressionless face.

"Rafiki?" Amari whispered as he approached the shaman slowly, not wanting to disturb the resting lions. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "Isn't dat de ultimate question? Why _are _we here?"

"Wait, no I didn't mean-"

"What is de _purpose_ of it all?"

Amari sighed irritably; he was in no mood for the philosophical crap that the mandrill lived by. "Does it even _matter _anymore?" he growled in a near whisper.

Rafiki leapt towards him with his eyes wide. "It _always_ matters."

Amari just stared at the mandrill in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say.

"Come." Rafiki said finally. "Follow Rafiki, dere is someting dat I want to discuss."

Amari shook his head with irritation, but obeyed the shaman nonetheless. Even if the monkey _was _being ridiculous, he felt some small obligation to do as he said. Besides, he had heard nasty stories about how he was quite willing to beat young lions with his stick if they disobeyed.

Amari fell into step alongside the shaman as he traveled back up towards the peak of Priderock, trying not to focus on the reality that had been bothering him so. Really, it wasn't that hard with Rafiki humming various tunes all the way there. It was annoying, really; Amari was in no mood for the jovial tone that the shaman took, and began to get frustrated with how he seemed to simply ignore the dismal future that was upon them. Then again, it was really more of his personality to maintain his chronic state of amusement, even in dark times. Amari remembered vaguely how when the first of the Pridelanders had fallen ill and Rafiki had been called, how he had given orders and done his job, but never with a noticeable change in his usual demeanor. He was always cracking jokes and quizzing his helpers, much to their distaste.

Within a short while, the two emerged at the very top of the great Priderock. Amari looked out at the stunning savanna, lit up in the silvery light of the moon. He had been here before and seen the view during the day, but the night was a new experience for him. The bluish light seemed to radiate a sense of serenity and stillness while the stars seemed to shine down with a watchful eye on the mortals below.

"Wow..." he mumbled softly.

Rafiki eyed him closely. "Didn't know dat dis was here?"

"I didn't know that it was like this at _night_."

"Yes yes. We always _tink_ dat we know something, but dere is always more dan what we see."

Amari shrugged. "I guess. What did you want to talk about?"

"I want to know about your travels."

The lion scowled. "Not you too!"

Rafiki chuckled slightly before continuing. "Surely you found some lions dat you considered asking for help, but chose not to."

"Yea... there were a few."

"Well?"

He shrugged, not really wanting to go into it, but accepting the fact that there was no way to change the shaman's mind. "The first lion we met was this rogue, _Kiota_ I think was his name... he killed two other lions in a heartbeat."

"Why didn't you ask him to help?"

"Because he was a sociopathic murderer, not a hero."

Rafiki nodded slowly. "I'll have to remember de name... he sounds important."

"Yea... whatever."

"Who else did you find?"

"There was this shaman-type guy who refused to fight anyone because he thought that _all_ violence was bad even if it was for self defense."

"Still not good enough for you?"

"He wouldn't _fight_. The rogues would have just killed him and then gone onto us."

Again, the mandrill nodded in understanding and gestured for him to continue.

"The last real one was this lion named _Leander_." As he said the name, Amari couldn't suppress a throaty growl from escaping his jaws. "He was just a liar and a selfish villain who only cared about his appearance."

"I tink I also heard a little about how dere was a little trouble in dat area?" He hinted at slyly.

"Wait, how do yo-"

Rafiki grinned at Amari's confusion. "Mela told me a bit while you were with de king."

"She told you about the whole thing with Farole?"

"She told me dat you risked your life to save her and even fought some nasty lions just to get to her."

"Yea..." he mumbled. "It wasn't as glorious as she made it sound."

"It never is, but still it is da little moments dat show who you really _are_ and what you hold dear."

"I guess," Amari conceded. "But it doesn't matter anymore; we didn't find a hero."

The mandrill stared at Amari for a few moments of silence before turning his gaze outward to the lightening savanna. The dawn was approaching the Pridelands, its pinkish hue wiping away the stars closest to the horizon. "You said dat de other lions weren't heroes, but what exactly _is_ a hero?"

Amari blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Define de word." Rafiki explained. "What exactly were you looking for?"

Amari paused for a moment to consider the question. In truth, he hadn't really thought about it before, he had always simply assumed that it would be obvious when he saw the supposed hero. "I don't know... I guess what I was really hoping for was just someone that would be willing to fight for us even though our situation is pretty hopeless."

"You want dem to risk their life for you?"

"A hero is ready to die for what he believes in, or at least I _thought _one would be like that."

Rafiki eyed him strangely. "You mean like how _you_ were ready to die for Mela?"

"No." Amari replied shortly. "That was different; I'm no hero."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." he said irritably. "I'm not some amazing fighter that can wipe out all our enemies, I'm just _me_!"

"I tought dat you were only looking for someone who would be willing to help?"

"Well yea... I was." he stammered. "But I can't help! There's no way that I would be able to take on a gang of rogues by myself, I'd get killed in an instant."

"Yes, yes, dis is true." Rafiki consented. "Nearly as dangerous as breaking a prisoner out of a prison of de nastiest king around."

Amari just stared at the shaman with an intense glare, as if maybe he would be able to understand what he was thinking by mere force of mind. _Was Rafiki really telling him that he was a hero?_ No, it was _ridiculous_.

"Rafiki... no, don't go there. Mela already tried to get me to do the same thing."

"Do you love Mela?" Rafiki asked.

"Yes." he replied without hesitation.

"And you were willing to risk your life for her."

"Yes, but-"

"Do you love dis family?"

"Of course, but-"

"Enough to risk your life?"

"Rafiki, I-"

"Do you?"

"YES!" he shouted angrily, suddenly furious at the shaman.

"Den why do you hesitate if you are ready and willing to do what is right?"

"BECAUSE I'M NOT A HERO!"

Rafiki grinned and looked out at the sprawling savanna. "Do you remember de prophecy?"

Amari nodded. "The one that said we would find a hero in the wilderness? Yea, I remember it... it never came true."

The mandrill was silent for a few moments. "I tink dat it did."

"No, we never found-"

"De prophecy works in strange ways, Amari." Rafiki explained. "You did not find a hero in de wilderness, but de prophecy never _said_ dat you would. It said dat a hero _from_ de wilderness would come to da rescue of Priderock."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying dat de wilderness _made_ you into a hero, and dat _through_ your journey you have _become_ what it is that you were seeking."

Amari was frozen in shock at the shaman's words. _Was the crazy monkey right? _Was _he_ the hero that the prophecy talked about? He doubted the idea greatly, but still... what else could be done? With no one else ready to fight, the Pridelanders would be killed in a heartbeat and without any trouble at all. To try would be to risk his own life, but also to provide a chance for survival to his family. _Would it make a difference?_ He asked himself. _Or rather, did it matter if it really helped?_ Even if he died and the gang still won, at least he had tried and given _some_ hope. Because really he wasn't risking his life for his family's safety, he was risking his life for a small _chance_ to make some small impact.

Amari shook his head silently and closed his eyes before speaking"I think you're _wrong_; I'm not a hero." he stated quietly, making Rafiki frown in dismay. "But maybe there _is _something that I can do."

The shaman's expressions softened as Amari raised his head to the sky to meet his epiphany. "You have the ability and desire to do what is right, Amari." he said slowly. "Are you willing to take the risk?"

He nodded. "I am willing to die for this family."

_SMACK! _ Amari reeled back from the stinging blow to his skull. "OWW!" he cried, "What was _that_ for!"

"Do not tink like dat!" Rafiki commanded. "Death is not de goal, _life _is. "Know dat you may die, but do not _plan_ on it!"

Amari grinned. "Okay, then; I'll try to avoid it."

"Good idea." he replied calmly, returning his gaze to the blood red sunrise that was beginning to spill over the horizon. "Dawn is here." he said quietly. "_Dey_ are coming."

Amari walked up to stand alongside the mandrill and scanned the savanna as he had. Sure enough, amidst the verdant grassland waving in the morning breeze was a grouping of dark and distant figures, hardly dots in the stunning landscape.

Amari stood atop Priderock with his fur rustling in the wind, his eyes fixed on the incoming lions. He was no hero, that he was sure of, but he _would_ not and _could_ not stand idly by while his family was sentenced to a slow death in the wilderness by a murderous group of rogues. He would fight them with all his strength and with everything that he learned from his journey. Maybe they would kill him and maybe they wouldn't, but that wasn't the point. He wasn't afraid, he was focused and ready. He felt the cold stone under his paws, almost feeling the _heartbeat_ of Priderock itself. This was his home and family, by birth _and _by choice. As long as he was still breathing, he would fight for them, this he swore.

*****Author's Note*****

**Please check out my polls via my profile, I was thinking about trying something new (the soundtrack idea) and I'd like to know if it would matter to you at all.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'm trying my best to end here with as big of a bang as I can, and I'd love to get some feedback on my work. Also, I'm currently on the fav list of 27 members and I'd love to break 30 before I leave, so tell your friends and whatnot, though I get it if you couldn't care less. (maybe that's a little self-stroaking, but I **_**really**_** want to break 30 haha). **

**Thanks for reading, I hope you comment. (Ps- the title is in swahili courtesy of google translate)  
**

**-Ben**


	17. Chapter 17: Hero

*****Chapter 17*****

*****Hero *****

Dawn erupted over the distant mountains like a fiery volcano, spilling the blood red light of the crimson sun over the sprawling savanna of the Pridelands. It touched the peak of Priderock with an audacious intensity that mirrored Amari's determined mindset as he looked out over the vast landscape and at the band of rogues that were nearing the base of the great monument. A sharp and sudden breeze blew his mane against his body, but he didn't flinch from the invigorating touch. _This was him_; _this was what he had become_. Rafiki watched the lion from not too far away, smiling approvingly of his decision.

"You should go." Rafiki said softly. "It is time."

Amari nodded slowly before turning to the Mandrill. "Thank you, Rafiki... I know what I have to do."

"You don't _have_ to do anything, Amari." he replied. "But you will nevertheless, and that is what makes you a hero."

Amari grinned at the shaman and started towards the path that would lead him downwards. _ "I'm no hero._" he said in a near whisper to the blowing breeze.

The ground seemed to move underneath him without effort from his body; he merely flowed down the trail with his eyes straight ahead. _This was it_, his moment of defiance. He didn't know how it would end, for him _or _for anyone else. He was outnumbered and outmatched, but he didn't care. He had only one desire, to stop them before they could hurt his family; what happened to him was not one of his concerns. _Life or death, his family would be safe; t_his he was sure of.

He traveled smoothly down the sloping path, stepping over sticks and stones that at one time would have caused him to trip. The hot morning sun beat down onto his fur painting it a deep red in contrast to its usual light tan.

"Amari!" a sweet, yet worried voice called out to him. "Where have you been? The rogues are almost here!"

The changed lion looked to Mela with new eyes, taking in her beauty like it were a stunning view. He tried to speak, but how could he possibly explain? What was there really to say? Amari did the only thing he could think to do; he approached her slowly without a sound and gently pulled her into a loving embrace.

"Amari, what-" she started with confusion,

"I just want you to know how much I love you." He said in a near whisper. "But I don't know how to put it into words."

She smiled softly at his remark. "I love you too Amari, But we need to _go!_"

Amari bit his lip. "Promise... Promise me that you'll be safe today... no matter what happens."

She looked at him strangely, not understanding. "Why are you talking like this? We can all get through this."

"Right..." he replied softly with a subtle determination. "We _will_."

Mela paused for a moment. "You seem different, Amari." she stated slowly. "Come on, we need to _go_."

He nodded and stared at her for a moment, taking in her beauty as if it was the last time in his life that he would see her face. "Alright..." he whispered with a voice trembling with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. "Let's go."

"Don't worry, please." she said calmingly, clearly mistaking his tone for dread. "We'll figure this out." With that, she started down the sloping path and looked expectantly at him to follow.

Amari waited a moment, but then followed suit and began the descent behind his love. They neared the base of the great stone monument that they called their home in a matter of minutes. Each step felt like a crash of thunder to him, he walked with strength, with passion, with _purpose_. He knew what would likely happen to him, but that didn't diminish his purpose in the slightest. Combat was something that he had gotten used to in the wilderness, now it was time to put his knowledge to the service of his family.

Voices became audible as they approached the pride's common area; some of which were clearly not Pridelander in origin. His heart began to race as adrenaline pumped through his veins and his fur stood up on end. The anticipation gave him a tingling sensation that he had only before felt when he was with Mela. He _wanted_ this; he _wanted_ to do what was right. True, he didn't want to die, but this wasn't _about_ him. This was about his friends and family, the ones that had supported loved him. He would fight for them, and he would do so without _any_ thought for himself.

"Please..." came a weak voice that Amari knew to be Simba's. "To leave our home would be to sentence everyone to death. We cannot survive in the wilderness while we are so sick."

Amari and Mela arrived onto the scene behind the gathering of Simba and Nala and the rogues. Not too far away lay the strongest of the invalid Pridelanders who simply could not keep themselves away from the event that would decide their fate. Under the feet of Sarabi sat the two cubs, Kiara and Tanai. They cowered in fear at the menacing rogues; their eyes wide with terror and their bodies shaking uncontrollably.

The gang was reasonably sized, about five or so lions each with a greedy expression on their face. Their fur was dirty and disheveled, clearly by choice, and Amari could smell their sharp breath from where he stood. The closest lion, also the largest, glared at the king of the Pridelands with distaste.

"We gave you _ample_ time to leave." he growled. "This is _our_ land now."

Amari turned to Mela and spoke in a quiet voice so only she could hear. "I love you... Be careful."

She looked confused, but he stepped forward before she could ask him what he was talking about. _She would see soon enough._

He approached Simba's side from behind with light steps, his eyes never leaving the group of foreign lions. He stopped at Simba's side, drawing the king's attention.

"Amari..." Simba said weakly. "They won't relent; go help Keela with the sick. We have to _leave_."

"No, sire." he stated simply with a calm tone that surprised even himself. "I _won't._"

"What?" Simba asked with confusion, looking up at him weakly.

"Amari, what are you doing?" Mela asked from behind him.

"I'll _fight _them." he replied softly, his heart pounding in his ears at the anticipation that was building; his muscles were tight, aching to be used to their limit. _He was actually doing it!_

The looks on the rogues' faces were that of amusement and vague annoyance.

Mela's voice was the first to sound. "No!" she cried. "What about what you said _before_? I thought this was different than the thing with Farole!"

He looked to her distraught face with sympathy. "This _is_ different." he replied. "But I still have to do it."

Simba frowned. "No you don't. We can leave _without _fighting."

"Everyone who is sick will _die_." he replied strongly, his voice cracking with emotion. "I _won't _give in without a fight!"

The rogue leader chuckled at him, eyeing the smaller lion with interest. "You're gonna get hurt kid, better back off now before we take you seriously."

"Amari please!" Mela pleaded with him, coming to stand in front of him. "You said yourself that you couldn't win, why are you trying?"

"Because I should." he said, staring deep into her eyes. "This isn't about me... I _love _you, Mela. Stay safe." With that, he stepped past her stand before his enemy. "I will fight you." His voice sounded foreign, older even. _Maybe he was more changed than he thought_.

"No," the rogue replied as his fellow gang members walked up alongside him. "It won't hardly be a _fight _at all." The lions widened their line to nearly circle the lone Pridelander.

Amari lowered his stance and stared deeply at his opponents. There were five of them against _one_ of him; needless to say, his heart was pounding at a thousand rounds per minute with his mind swimming with broken thoughts. _What had he gotten himself into?_ This lion was obviously larger than Urak, stronger too. He pushed the thought to the back of his head, focusing instead on _why_ he had done this; for Mela, for Simba, Nala, and everyone else. The reminder gave him strength and solidity; he exhaled deeply and steadied his breath. _He was ready to fight_.

"Last chance, kid." the rogue said in a lowered breath. "Back off or _die_."

Amari could practically _hear_ the horrified silence of Mela behind him. He only stared at the rogue with burning fury. He sank lower into the now familiar combat stance, and cocked his legs to drive out against the ground.

The leader eyed him curiously, clearly surprised by Amari's strong will to fight. "You're _serious_, aren't yo-" he started before Amari exploded from the ground with his claws outstretched and the roar of war on his lips. "_OOOFF!_" the stunned rogue grunted as he was buried under the surprisingly heavy Pridelander.

Amari growled with intensity as he struck out with vengeful talons at the lion that threatened his family. He felt his claws sink into the rogue's flesh and rip across his torso with dangerous speed, drawing a roar of rage from the lion.

A sharp blow from the rear sent Amari sprawling across the stone ground before he rolled his feet to face the second lion that had come to his leader's aid. He watched worriedly as the other three lions growled dangerously at him as they slowly advanced towards him. He was severely outnumbered and he knew that he would stand no chance against them if he fought them all at once.

"_Kill_ him." The leader growled furiously, his eyes burning with the fire of pure hatred. He stepped forward with blood oozing from his chest wound, not even the essence of pain showing on his face. "But do it _slowly_. I want him to _suffer!_"

Amari swore with vague amusement at the whole situation. True, he was risking his life and was terrified beyond anything he had ever felt before, but there was something distinctly humorous at how he had gotten himself into this mess. Instead of laughing though, he only bared his teeth and roared menacingly at the nearest rogue.

The foreigner came in fast and high, his blows striking towards the Pridelander's face with a blinding fury. Amari leaped back from the first barrage and out of his enemy's reach, finding footing against the stone side of Priderock. The rogue continued forward, a little off balance and with a look of slight confusion, but was cut short by Amari's sharp lunge forward against his momentum. With a roar of emotion, the younger lion brutally slammed his clawed paw into the face of his attacker with a 'crack' of collision that drew dark lines in the lion's face and sent him reeling.

Amari wanted to cry out in euphoria for the direct hit, but another trespasser caught him by surprise from the side. He threw himself to the ground in an attempt to dodge the incoming strike, but still caught a slight gash on his side before he rolled across the stone. He let loose a growl to vent his pain and quickly rose to his feet to face the rest of them.

His eyes focused just in time to see the entire band of rogues lunging at him at once, causing his eyes to widen with distinct fear for his life. The nearest was the leader who was simply ignoring his chest wound. The larger lion was horrifying with his face contorted with rage. Time seemed to stand still as Amari stood before the tidal wave of lions that was forming before him.

"AMARI!" he heard Mela cry from not too far away. "_RUN!"_

Though fleeing was not one of the things that he had intended on doing, it suddenly seemed like a _very _good idea. In a fluid motion, he dug his paws into the ground and pushed off with all his might to throw himself in the opposite direction. Within a brief moment, he was off at a dead run with his enemies at his heels, their bated breath blowing on his tail.

He raced towards the trail he had arrived from with all his strength, successfully kicking up enough dust to make his pursuers cough and gag as they inhaled, giving him a second or two lead on them. The rocky floor of Priderock's side path swept under Amari like flood waters, its course rocky texture melding into a seemingly seamless current of tan and brown blurred together by its apparent speed.

Amari stole a quick glance back at his chasers and was not too surprised to see them hot on his heels. The closest rogue was one he hadn't fought yet and was also one of the largest. Really though, _large_ was an understatement; the lion was nearly twice Amari's size and looked to be nearly _all_ muscle. The fact that he was running as fast as Amari made the smaller lion shudder to think how hard it would be to try to stop his momentum.

Amari grinned slyly as an idea formed in his mind. He neared a fork in the ascending path and took the downward and less traveled path instead of the more familiar one. He hugged the sheer face of Priderock's vertical face as he sprinted along the path that hung over a sheer drop to the hard ground a deadly distance below. Up ahead he eyed the sharp turn of the ledge as it bent around the great monument's side. It was a sudden turn, but he knew he could make it at his current speed without slowing down. The massive rogue on the other hand...

The turn was coming up fast, and Amari prepared himself for the turn. He timed his steps so the final one would be able to push against the stone floor. _ It was close, only a second longer. _The Pridelander slammed his paw onto the hard stone with all his strength and extended his claws to catch the side of Priderock as best he could. His heart nearly froze when his grip on the stone slipped and he slipped towards the dismal fall in an instantaneous moment. Before he went too far though, his sharp claws caught and he continued on the curve and onto the new path.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins from the completed feat, giving him a new burst of speed. Behind him, he heard a sudden screeching of claws against the sharp stone floor and a yell of terror before a short silence followed by a dull and sickening '_thud' _that sounded a small pang of remorse from the Pridelander. He refused to turn around until he reached the end of the path that led into the small network of abandoned caves that the sick had deserted many months before.

When he _did_ look, he was surprised to see that the gang had been slowed down a lot by the turn. The death of their comrade had given them extra care as they turned the bend, none of them wanting to meet the same fate.

Amari looked to the shallow caves and assorted boulders that littered the ground around and in the caves. He was tempted to hide among the stones, but to what ends? They would eventually find him and swarm over him... _Unless he surprised them first!_ He dove into the nearest cave and worked his way from rock to rock until he reached the top of a large boulder that nearly reached the ceiling of the large cave. It was far enough into the cave so that darkness filled the cracks and corners, the top of the boulder included.

He pressed himself low against the stone, allowing his tan and dusty fur to blend in with the dark dry rock around him. Now he only had to wait for his enemies to arrive. The Pridelander regulated his breathing and slowed his heartbeat as he tried to regain control of his trembling limbs, aching from exertion.

In a matter of moments, foreign voices sounded from the mouth of the cave, one rising over the others and barking commands.

"FIND HIM!" the voice echoed and reverberated off the cave walls, clearly the voice of the unnamed leader.

Two figures emerged at the cave entrance while the other two continued on to some unseen cave. They hesitated for a moment before stepping into the darkness seemingly timid of the cold gray walls and boulders.

Amari calmed his breath as his heart began to pound with anticipation. He was hidden in the darkness, and their clumsy movement revealed that their eyes were not fully adjusted to the darkness. They crept forward blindly, nearing Amari's perch with every step. He held his breath while they neared his hiding place, praying to the kings that they wouldn't see or hear him until he was ready for them to do so. _A few more feet, they were almost in reach!_ He tensed his muscles and silently felt the stone below him for footholds to push off of. His claws extended and gripped the edge of his boulder sounding a minuscule '_click' _just as the second of the rogues passed under him. The tiny sound caught the lion's attention, drawing his gaze to the top of the boulder adjacent to him, but it was too late. All he saw was a flash of fur and claw as the Pridelander lunged from his perch and leaped the short distance to tackle the intruder, claws leading the way.

The lion hardly had time to let out a grunt of surprise before Amari crashed into him with his full body force. He ripped and tore at the rogue with his talons as they fell as a single unit towards the far wall of the cave. In a split second, their momentum was stopped with a sickening '_crack_' as they struck the hard wall with the rogue's skull leading the way. In synchronicity with the sound, the lion's body went limp and collapsed to the ground without movement, save for a few twitches.

Amari removed himself from the body, vaguely aware of the other rogue that was coming up behind him. He only stared with a mix of relief and remorse as he watched blood pool around the rogue's fractured skull. _He was definitely dead_, Amari thought to himself. Really though, this was the first dead lion that he had actually _seen_. Sure he had killed, but the body had never ended up in front of him.

'_WHAP!'_ A sharp blow from behind sent his head reeling and made his legs turn to jelly. Before he could even hit the ground, however, strong arms wrapped around him and clenched tight, effectively squeezing the air from his lungs in a single motion.

Amari started to panic from the confusion; he was dizzy and uncoordinated with his body being squeezed and wrenched around like a rag doll while an angry growl was sounding in his ears. His vision cleared after a moment of shakiness and he found himself desperately gasping for air against the rogue's iron grip. _He couldn't breathe!_ He thrashed and kicked with significant effort, but couldn't break free from the hold. The rogue was strong, that much was clear, but Amari had fought much stronger creatures than him; _he was no Xana._

He relaxed to feign submission for a moment, though his lungs screamed for air. Then, just as the rogue began to relax his guard, Amari jerked his head back with as much force as he could muster, cracking skulls with his enemy. The blow loosened the death grip even more to the point where the Pridelander managed to rip free of it. He pulled away, the sudden freedom allowing him to suck air in and giving him strength.

There was only one thing he had to do, though he desperately didn't want too. Still, despite his burning desire, he didn't hesitate. Amari spun around with surprising agility towards his reeling attacker with his claws extended.

The rogue didn't even see them coming; the first slashed his shoulder while the second went straight for the throat. The lion blinked in surprise at the two timed blows, but didn't make a word. Even as he fell to the dark stone floor, his lifeblood flowing from his neck, he remained silent. He only stared at Amari with mild confusion, as if he simply couldn't understand why he was dying.

It was a sickening feeling that Amari felt as he stared at the two dead and dying rogues. He didn't want to kill them, but he knew that he was given no choice in the matter. Not only would they have killed him, if they had the chance, but they also would have killed his family. No, he decided, they brought this upon themselves, their death was their own fault.

After a brief few seconds of staring, the Pridelander tore away from the corpses and went off to find the remaining two rogues. He leaned out of the cave slowly and warily, searching the surrounding area for them.

"THERE HE IS!" Came the leader's yell from behind him.

Amari swore and turned to look back to his next attacker. _ He must have entered another cave that ultimately connected with the one he had initially hidden in_. To fight both the rogues here would be suicide. Not only were the final two much bigger than the first, but they also were on even playing grounds; Amari had nothing that gave him an advantage. He decided to do what had worked before; he _ran_.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Mela was a nervous wreck, after Amari had disappeared down the trail she had lost all control. Nervous tears fell down her cheeks despite Nala's attempts to assure her of Amari's safety.

"I have to find him!" She cried. "He needs help!"

"_No_, Mela!" Nala insisted. "We don't know where they went! You would probably run into the rogues before you found Amari, and then what?"

"B-but..." she stammered worriedly. "What if-"

Her protests were cut short by a roar of rage emanating from a nearby tier maybe fifteen feet above them that overlooked the immediate area. As the lioness' head turned towards the noise, she saw Amari burst from behind a stone at a full sprint before skidding to a halt at the edge. The fall probably wouldn't have been that bad, but he decided against jumping it for fear of hurting himself unnecessarily.

"AMARI!" Mela cried with relief, making him smile at her with a joyful expression, clearly happy to see her.

"Stay down there, Mela!" He shouted, effectively keeping her where she was.

Mela only watched with horror as the final two rogues turned the corner behind him, the leader held a cruel expression on his face.

"_Got you_!" He hissed furiously as he faced off with the much smaller lion. His subordinate stood at his side, twitching with excitement.

Amari's heart was pounding; he was cornered on the edge of a small ledge by two larger lions without any help and with no advantage other than what he could manage with his own body. He didn't know what to do, didn't know what to say. Should he taunt them? Plead with them? Attack them before they said anything?

He never had time to make his decision; the smaller rogue was too antsy to wait and lunged out at him with an enthusiastic growl of excitement. Amari leaned back from the attack, nearly falling backwards over the edge but catching himself at the last possible second.

The rogue's enthusiastic grin was wiped from his face when the Pridelander came back to meet him head on. Amari grimaced as his claws made contact with the lion's cheek, ripping it open and sending him howling in pain backwards into his leader.

The massive lion roared in fury as his brash and foolish subordinate fell at his feet in a bloody mess. Amari as well as the other Pridelanders from below watched in shock as the gang leader pinned the smaller rogue to the ground and clamped down on his throat. The doomed lion's eyes widened with fear as he realized the intent of his vengeful master's actions.

In one fluid motion, the leader ripped away the other rogue's throat and removed himself to watch as the lion writhed on the ground before dying slowly. Once the thrashing ceased, he looked up at a horrified Amari.

"I told him that we would attack together." He explained sinisterly. "I don't tolerate those that disobey my orders."

Amari was speechless at the rogue's display of cruelty, just one more reminder that this was no game and that his life as well as everyone else's' was at stake. This was the final rogue, the largest, the strongest, and the cruelest of them all. This was it; this was his final battle, the culmination of over two months of strain and suffering that had made him strong. Amari looked down the ledge at his family below; Mela stood alongside Simba and Nala, staring at him with worried eyes, clearly fearful for his safety. They were his fire, his reason for bearing this burden. They alone made it all worth it.

"Time for you to die, kid." The rogue growled lowly.

Amari sunk into his stance, ignoring the pain from his minor injuries as well as from his aching muscles.

Instead of waiting for the massive tyrant to launch his own assault, Amari decided to take draw first blood. He pushed off from the rough stone with all his might towards his enemy, his claws held tight to his body until the last moment when he struck out, maximizing his momentum with his arm strength. The rogue was ready, he leaped to the side with surprising agility and swung out with a paw-full of claws that narrowly missed Amari's neck.

The Pridelander wasted no time once he hit the ground; he pushed off again against the will of his fatigued limbs and dove back into the fray. He struck out as fast as he could with all his strength, but his opponent matched him well. Each blow was caught early by a sturdy block and caused little more than a slight bruise on both their arms.

Amari managed to dodge the rogue's strikes as well, but he didn't _dare_ try to block the much stronger blows for fear of being unable to support the weight. He ducked and dove around his enemy with speed that surprised even him; his adrenaline was pumping through his veins like raw electricity, making his mind and body buzz with sheer power.

He was a frenzy of combat, the epitome of a warrior. He raked and slashed, spun and dove, matching the larger rogue's intensity. The tense eyes of his family were present in his mind; he knew that they were watching with bated breath to see who would be the victor. He knew that Mela was likely going insane from the suspense, but it was also just a distant observation. His fight took all his focus, all his strength, all his _passion_ to maintain his level of performance. This was no game, it was a matter of life and death.

Amari swung high at the rogue's face, but the lion ducked under it, coming up under his strike with an ear-splitting roar before lunging past him. Amari felt a cold, yet searing hot pain slice through his body and down his ribs. He tried to turn and face his enemy, but his strength failed him; his right paw gave out and he fell to the ground with a pained gasp.

He could feel his hot blood running down his side, soaking his fur and causing his suddenly cold skin to tremble. His breathing grew ragged as he realized what had happened. _He was hit!_ The idea threatened to plunge him deep into panic and shock, but he fought it off as it came. Still, despite his own assurances he still held a dismal thought in the back of his mind. _This wound was bad... possibly bad enough to kill him._

He looked down at the gash despite his better judgment only to see that it ran the full length of his torso from his shoulder to his hip. Blood pulsed out at a steady rate, his strength with it.

"AMARI!" Mela cried from below, her voice frantic.

Amari tried to respond to her, but strong claws gripped his shoulders, causing him to growl in pain. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself staring into the cruel eyes of the rogue leader and without any stone behind his head. _He was on the edge!_ he realized with horror; the rogue seemed intent on throwing him to the ground below. Maybe it wouldn't have killed him if he had jumped on his own, but _falling_ was another matter entirely. Without being able to control his descent, getting killed or at least severely hurt was inevitable.

"Did you _really_ think you could win?" the lion asked him with slight amusement. "I am impressed that you managed to do what you did, but still. You could _never_ win against me!"

Amari only growled in protest as the lion pushed him farther over the edge. Now it was only his vice-like grip on the Pridelander that kept him from falling.

"Now I'm going to kill you." he hissed softly. "And then, I'm going to kill the _rest _of your family."

Amari's eyes widened with horror and rage.

"You shouldn't have crossed me, I _would _have let them live."

He was speechless at the rogue's cruelty, the dead and horrified silence of his family resonating in his skull with fury. _The monster!_

"But don't feel too bad," the lion continued smugly. "You couldn't have won anywa- AAAAAHHHHH!."

The rogue's sudden scream of pain made him arc his back and release his grip on Amari, forcing him to instead grab the lion's arms to keep from falling backwards over the edge. It was only a short glimpse, but he managed to catch a short glimpse of Mela as she darted back to avoid a swipe from the leader. _He hadn't even noticed her climb up!_ Never before had he been so thrilled to see her, and his grin shown through the pain he was experiencing.

Still though, he had a job to do. There was no hesitation in his mind as he yanked down on the rogue's arms, pulling him down so that they were face to face.

"I don't _have_ to win." he said through gritted teeth. "I just have to make sure that _you_ don't!"

The rogue's expression changed from slight confusion to fear as he felt Amari thrust his right foot into his gut and the other push down onto the stone floor.

"What are you- NO!" he cried in protest as the much smaller Pridelander used the last of his strength to pull both their weights towards the edge.

"NO!" he heard Mela scream in horror from not too far away, but he didn't stop. _This was for her, for him, and for their family._ He said that he would die for his family, and he _meant_ it.

It was only a few inches that they had to go, but it felt like miles as their world slowly lost all orientation. The stone floor disappeared from under them and they continued to roll as they floated through the air towards the hard stone below.

Amari watched with little emotion as the rogue's face contorted in fear and distress as they fell, clearly never having been near death before. Amari had been here before several times; he was ready to die if need be, but _not_ before his enemy.

It was excruciating to perform, but the Pridelander twisted his body around and latched onto the rogue's shoulders. The lion only looked at him with a bizarre expression, clearly stunned that he had thrown them _both _over the edge. With a sudden and final expulsion of his strength, Amari jerked the lion around, effectively forcing him to where he was below the smaller lion and closer to the ground below. He _refused _to be the first to hit the ground, he _refused _to possibly break his enemy's fall for him.

They struck the ground with full force, the rogue's skull leading the way followed by Amari's full weight slamming down onto his torso, crushing the ribs that protected his vital organs. From there, it all went chaotic. Amari fell to the side, striking the stone with less force, but still enough to do damage. He felt searing pain shot up his side as his wound ripped even wider and he rolled to a painful stop on the ground. The pain was too intense and the force was too powerful; his vision slowly dulled to black and the pain sank away as he began to fall into the familiar abyss of dark unconsciousness.

"Is he okay?" Mela's voice pierced the silent air. _He had to fight it!_

It took all his strength, but he managed to look up and open his eyes to see a small crowd of lions standing around him at a decent distance, clearly wanting to give him space. Simba and Nala were there a short distance away speaking urgently with one of the few healthier lionesses. After a brief moment of discussion, the lioness nodded and darted off, probably to go find Rafiki. He looked over towards the ledge to see Mela was rushing towards them with an expression of pure worry on her face.

"Amari!" she cried as she rushed to his side. "No, no, no, no!"

Had he been stronger, Amari would have smiled at her frantic nature. "Hey, Mela..." he said in a near whisper, his body too weak to offer anything more.

"You're hurt!" she replied frantically, eyeing his gash with distress.

Amari didn't care, he had only one thing on his mind. "The rogue... is he-"

"He's dead." she told him, nuzzling him softly. "I don't know how you did it... but you _beat _them."

He closed his eyes with relief, _they were safe_.

"AMARI!"

His eyes shot open frantically, startled by her sudden scream. "Huh?"

"Sorry..." she said meekly. "I thought you were... I don't know."

"Dying?" he offered.

She nodded, bending down to him to lick his muzzle affectionately. "You better not."

Amari looked away from her as a cold shiver ran up his spine. Blood was still flowing from his wound and he felt like one of his legs was broken. "I-I think I might be." he said softly.

"No..." she replied in horror. "No, you've gotten hurt before, you'll be fine!"

Another shiver wracked his frame violently. _He had never felt this before_, _was this the difference between dying and just getting hurt? _"I l-love you Mela..."

"I love you too." she whispered softly, a silent tear making its way down her cheek. "But you _can't_ die! I _need_ you!"

"I need y-you too."

Simba and Nala appeared next to his love, looking down at him with sorrowful eyes. They could see that his wound was more than something that he could just shake off. "Rafiki's on his way," Simba said softly. "He should be here in a few min-"

"I am 'ere _now_." a familiar accent sounded, making them all look to see the shaman making his way towards them, first aid items in hand.

"Hey, Rafiki..." Amari greeted weakly.

"Shush!" the mandrill commanded strongly as he forced the injured lion's head to the ground. "Don't _talk_, don't _move_!" He examined the deep wound for a few moments in silence, everyone watching nervously to see what his evaluation would be.

"Amari..." he said softly. "You're _hurt_."

The mandrill's tone said it all, but somehow it didn't faze Amari in the slightest. Maybe he already knew his fate subconsciously or maybe he had been anticipating it.

"What do you _mean_, he's 'hurt'?" Mela asked desperately. "Is he going to be _okay_?"

"Mela..." Amari called her weakly. "It's okay... there was no other way."

"NO!" she yelled, tears falling freely now. "Is he going to die or not?"

Rafiki looked at the ground in sadness. "He's lost too much blood and de wound is too deep... 'Dere is notin' dat I can do."

_That was it._ That was the verdict, the judgment of his fate. Nothing could be done to save him, he was going to _die_.

With the last ounce of strength that he had left in him, he lifted his arm and placed it on Mela's shoulder, drawing her in close to him. He could feel his heart beat weaker and his breath become shallower. _What more was there to do other than to be with the one he loved?_

The tears were flowing down her face and she had begun to sob by the time she buried her face in his fur, staining it the dark color of grief.

"I tink dat I was right, Amari" Rafiki said sadly. "You _are_ da hero."

Another cold shiver shot through his body, making him clench Mela even tighter. "No..." he said, hardly able to get the words out. "I'm no hero... _Heroes don't die_."

"Heroes _do _die," Simba corrected. "But they are never _forgotten_."

Nala nodded in grieved agreement. "You will never be forgotten, Amari."

He smiled weakly at the gesture, fighting another cold chill as he felt Mela continue to sob in his arms. "Don't cry... I'll see you again."

"But I w-want to see you _now!_"

"I'm sorry..." he said weakly. "But I have to go. _I love you_."

She only sobbed that much harder and nuzzled his neck that much more passionately. _"I love you too."_

He inhaled softly as a cold shiver numbed his body and mind, somehow amplifying his senses. He could feel _everything_, the small pebbles below him, the tears of his love on his fur, even the _breath _of Simba and Nala. He could feel the melancholy gaze of the entire pride on him, he could _feel_ their emotion. The sun was hot and drove away the numbed cold. His body was flooded with warmth, flooded with bliss. The pain from his injury was gone, all he could feel was Mela and the heat of the sun. All he could feel was _love_.

*****Epilogue*****

Mela gazed out at the lush Pridelands from where she sat on the lip of Priderock. The hot sun beat down on her, comforting her slightly. In the distance she could see one of the hunting parties stalking a herd of wildebeest, the hunters moving quickly without the burden of sickness. Cubs were once again playing in the grass with their mothers watching over them lovingly.

She looked down at her own tiny bundle of fur that lay in her arms, sleeping in the hot sun. He had his father's pale tan fur and eyes that shone like his.

"_I hope you can see him, Amari..._" she whispered to the air as a slight breeze rustled her fur. _"He looks just like you."_

Movement from behind her made her turn to see Simba and Nala emerging from the main cave, as healthy and strong as ever with two growing cubs in tow. It always made Mela light up to see the two cubs with the king and queen, something that she felt truly explained why it had all been worth it.

"Good morning, Mela." Nala greeted as she came to stand alongside the new mother. "How is he?"

"He's wonderful." she replied happily. "Asleep, but wonderful."

"He would be proud." Simba offered with a smile.

Mela nodded as another gentle breeze passed by. "He is."

"Well we're off to give a tour of sorts," Nala said after a pleasant pause. "Enjoy your day."

"Of course." Mela replied with a smile, watching as the King and Queen descended the path to the base of Priderock.

Kiara followed suit with her parents, but the young Tanai hung back hesitantly.

"Something on your mind, Tanai?" she asked with amusement. The adopted cub had always been one of her favorites in the pride. He wasn't like most cubs, he was _different_.

"Umm, yea..." he began nervously. "I, uh... I was asking Simba about... about Amari. He said I should talk to you."

Mela nodded understandingly and looked up at the brilliantly golden sun. "What do you want to know?"

Tanai shrugged his small shoulders. "I don't know... why did he do it?"

"You mean why did he fight when he didn't think he could win?"

"Yea, I j-just don't get it."

Mela suppressed a chuckle at the young cub's embarrassment. "Amari loved you and everyone else here. I think he felt like he owed us all for something."

"For what?"

"For being his family. He knew what he valued, and ultimately gave his life to protect it."

Tanai was silent for a moment as he looked over the verdant lands of his adoptive father. "I want to be like that... I want to be strong enough to stand up for my family."

"I think you already are." she said softly, noting a familiar light in the young lion's eyes. She could see it clearly, there was no desire to obtain wealth or fame, just some strange and undying desire to serve those that had made him. It was understandable, for Tanai. He had been adopted, taken in by Simba and had been given a loving family. She could see why he wanted to give back, but still... there was that unusual note of selflessness in him. _ He would be fun to watch as he grew up_, she decided. He was going to make something of himself, of that she was sure.

"If you want, Tanai," she began slowly. "I'll tell you all about him tonight. But right now I think Simba is waiting for you."

He nodded appreciatively. "Yea, that would be great."

She smiled and nudged him towards the path. "Good, now hurry up. They're waiting for you."

He smiled and trotted off down the path after his adoptive father, gleefully kicking a small stone as he went.

Mela watched him leave with amusement. The sun was high in the sky and Priderock was alive with life, giving Mela a sense of euphoria that was only amplified by a warm breeze. This was life for her, and she accepted it. True, she missed her love with a burning passion but she wasn't alone. She would see him again she was sure, it was only a matter of time. Until then, she had a beautiful cub to care for and a wonderful family to be a part of.

The Pridelands had regained its full potential, both from Scar's reign and from the devastating illness. Peace reigned and love conquered all, though it had all nearly been lost. It was a new and brave world that they faced now, and they had only one lion to thank for it all.

Mela closed her eyes and nuzzled her small sleeping cub. _"Thank you, Amari..." _she whispered into his fur.

*****THE END*****

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*****Author's Note*****

** Too many times do people search for someone to help them, only to find that no one can or that no one will. Too many times do people fail to realize that they can and must be their own hero. The ability to make a difference is as much an inherent ability in our species as is walking or seeing and must only be acknowledged to truly discover. Ultimately, the deciding factor is whether or not we are willing to sacrifice. Do we have the strength to offer ourselves to an ideal, to something bigger than ourselves? Do we have the courage to do what is right? I argue that the answer is yes; in a world that all too often seems to have no heroes, we can all make a difference.**

**Thank you all for all your support and attention for the past year. Now, I take my leave and I wish you all the best of luck on your future endeavors.**

**-Ben**


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